Have you ever had a performance review via email? Has anyone ever broken 💔 up with you via text? Or proposed to you over the phone? I hope not! Yes, these examples are clichés. But they perfectly illustrate why your choice of communication medium is important. This goes for both personal and professional contexts. Here’s an example in a professional, … Read More
I have some fun trivia for you. You’ve probably heard this famous quote, and maybe you’ve even said it: “The Medium is the Message.” First piece of trivia: The correct quote is actually, “The MEDIUM is the MASSAGE.” That’s what 🇨🇦 Canadian philosopher and English & media studies professor Marshall McLuhan called his 1967 book: “The … Read More
Do you know when to text versus email versus pick up the phone? What about virtual versus face-to-face meetings? Andrea encourages you to think beyond your default media and consider the WHO, the WHAT and the WHY when choosing the ideal communication medium. CONTENTS Resources Transcript RESOURCES “MEDIA” or “MEDIUM”? https://grammarist.com/usage/media-mediums/ Dr. Andrea Wojnicki & … Read More
Do you have an accent? I happen to LOVE accents. I love hearing the tone and the character of a voice. An accent adds unique colour to a voice. Think about someone speaking with your favourite accent. Now imagine them reading tax law to you. Their voice could even make you want to listen! (This … Read More
Do You Like The Sound of Your Voice? Most people don’t like the sound of their voice. You never sound the same “out loud” as you do in your head. And what about how you sound when you hear your recorded voice? Exactly. We’ve all been there. This week’s Talk About Talk podcast episode … Read More
Do you like the sound of your voice? Can your voice be improved? Do you have an accent? In this interview with voice expert Judith Weinman, you’ll learn 5 things you can do to optimize the sound of your voice, how to leverage your voice in terms of your personal brand, and all about accents. … Read More
Listening Skills are a Superpower Yes, listening skills are a superpower! The most recent Talk About Talk podcast is focused on “The Power of LISTENING.” In this episode, you’ll learn: why listening is so difficult the 3 levels of listening strategies to improve your listening… LISTEN UP! Here’s your summary: 5 ways to improve your listening skills … Read More
Listen UP! Listen to this: Experts have noted that as a society, our LISTENING SKILLS are deteriorating. More of us are spending our time watching videos. We are a visually-oriented society. That’s sad, isn’t it? But I’m an optimist for two reasons: 1️⃣ LISTENING SKILLS is one of the most common topic requests I receive. Ambitious … Read More
Do you want to be a better listener? Yes, you can learn to listen! Learn tactical strategies to help you become a better listener, reasons why listening is so difficult, and the 3 levels of listening. Printable Shownotes: https://www.talkabouttalk.com/podcasts/#shownotes Subscribe here: https://www.talkabouttalk.com/podcasts/#subscribe CONTENTS Summary Resources Transcript SUMMARY WHY LISTENING is so DIFFICULT We’re myopic … Read More
On PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT & UPSKILLING There’s no question that we can accelerate our career advancement by focusing on our PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT and strategically UPSKILLING, whether it’s taking a course to acquire formal accreditation, doing a “lunch & learn” workshop at work, or hiring someone to coach you through a “development opportunity” identified in your recent performance … Read More
Strong communication skills can elevate your leadership effectiveness and your career. CEO Jill Nykoliation shares her general career advice, what she keeps in her 2 notebooks, the most common career pitfalls, and more. Listen to learn how to communicate like a boss! This is the 2nd half of a 2-part interview. Please see episode #75 … Read More
Effective leaders communicate like a boss! Compassion, precision, and frequency of communication are just a few of the values that CEO Jill Nykoliation exemplifies and that she encourages others to embrace. This is part 1 of a 2-part interview. The 2nd episode (#76) includes a summary of both episodes. Link to printable shownotes with … Read More
How MINDFUL are you? Are you focused or are you oblivious? Yes, I admit that MINDFULNESS is a buzzword these days. But being mindful, being intentional, can elevate our communication effectiveness and even our life satisfaction. Mindfulness & meditation coach, Swiss renaissance woman, Anne V. Muhlethaler For this episode, I interviewed ANNE V. MUHLETHALER, a true … Read More
Technology entrepreneur Robson Beaudry shares how we can use VR to practice and improve our interpersonal and communication skills. VR can accelerate and improve our practice, beyond alternatives such as role-playing or watching ourselves. Key insights include the power of meta-learning and the impact of listening versus talking… LINK to printable shownotes: https://www.talkabouttalk.com/podcasts/#shownotes CONTENTS … Read More
GENDER DIFFERENCES IN COMMUNICATION Certainly, gender differences exist: “Men are direct. Women are emotional….” “Men are from Mars, women are from Venus.” You’ve probably heard the comments and perhaps you’ve witnessed differences between how men and women talk. Recently a few people asked me about the differences between how men and women communicate. Like you, I’ve … Read More
LISTENING SKILLS – LISTENING SKILLS are, in my opinion, the #1 communication superpower… If you’re not listening, it’s not communication. It’s a monologue! ? We could all use a primer on IMPROVING OUR LISTENING SKILLS. Whether we’re in an online meeting, engaging in small talk, or receiving feedback. Active listening, listening with intent, can make all the … Read More
On SMALL TALK – online & IRL! Recently I read a comment about making SMALL TALK on Zoom calls. Interesting, right? Video-conferencing has become so normalized that phenomena like small talk applies. The SMALL TALK advice and insights below apply whether you’re communicating online or IRL. Read on to learn: What is Small Talk? 5 … Read More
This week we’re focusing on COMMUNICATION SUPERPOWERS. Communication Superpowers as in the most important things we should work on to communicate more effectively. The communication skills that will get us noticed for the right reasons… (image: Unsplash @ cassar_photography) What do YOU think are the most important communication skills? Please reply to this email to let me know! … Read More
This week we focus on two specific leadership contexts, CRISIS LEADERSHIP and leading VIRTUAL TEAMS. How’s that for timely? Whether you’re managing a corporation, leading a project, coaching a sports team, or parenting your children, chances are you can improve your leadership effectiveness. ? The Podcast: CRISIS LEADERSHIP & VIRTUAL TEAMS Executive coach Heather Stark is back to … Read More
Are you leading a virtual team? Learn how to lead a virtual team and excel in a crisis. During a crisis, everything is magnified, including leadership skills. Executive coach Heather Stark shares her “5C’s of creating a virtual culture” framework to help leaders navigate and excel in the new normal. (This is part 2 of … Read More
This week it’s all about LEADERSHIP. My Dad always had a sign on his desk that said, “LEAD, FOLLOW or GET OUT OF THE WAY.” It’s not quite clear who said this first, but we all need to know our role, right? If you ever play the role of LEADER, this blog is for you. … Read More
Effective leaders are effective communicators. Executive coach Heather Stark shares how to improve our communication skills and why leaders need to be good listeners, authentic, proactive, inclusive, intentional and mindful. CONTENTS Summary References & Links Andrea’s Introduction Interview Transcript Andrea’s Conclusion SUMMARY: Communication Skills for Effective Leadership The #1 Communication Skill: Effective Leaders are Great … Read More
This week we focus on TELLING OUR STORY – as in writing fiction and non-fiction, the power of metaphors, talking to the media, and why we all need a personal 60-second infomercial! Let’s do this! ? This Week’s Podcast: TELLING YOUR STORY I just released this week’s ?podcast, focused on TELLING YOUR STORY with best-selling author, consultant and … Read More
Do you know how to tell your story effectively? The story you tell could be at work in conversation with your boss, in a job interview, or perhaps you seek to write a novel? Best-selling author and legal veteran Norman Bacal shares how stories are impactful because they connect us through our emotions and life … Read More
This week we focus on “the good news and the bad news.” Which would YOU rather hear first? Let’s do this! Which do you want to hear first? The GOOD news or the BAD news? Most people want to get the bad news out of the way. According to academic research, 78% of us prefer to hear … Read More
Listen here… I hope you had a good week. Did you have a chance to INTRODUCE anyone – using the skills we learned about last week? This week’s newsletter theme and ?podcast is on LISTENING. I can’t wait to introduce you to our guest expert – author, consultant, and legal veteran Norman Bacal. But before we get … Read More
Listen, as Norman Bacal, author, consultant, and 35 year legal veteran, shares his insights and stories about how active listening can help you not only learn, but also improve your relationships with co-workers, clients, family, and friends. You will learn strategies for active listening, including the ideal mindset for listening, what to project, how narcissists are … Read More
Do you have effective communication skills? Are you a confident communicator? In this 20 minute podcast episode, Dr. Andrea Wojnicki teaches you the 5 simple steps that will improve your communication skills. It’s as simple as ABCDE! SHOWNOTES Contents Summary – “The ABCDEs of Communication” References & Links Andrea’s Commentary Summary Page (see the shownotes … Read More
Have you had a chance to listen to the PROFANITY podcast yet? Several of you told me that you learned a lot. ME TOO! I was curious to see the ratio of downloads between the explicit and the clean versions of the profanity podcast. FYI – it is about 2:1 explicit:clean. Hmm… ? Moving on…. … Read More
I hope you had a great week! Over the past few weeks, we have talked Supporting our Grieving Friends, Friendships, and Talking with our Doctor. This week, we talk and learn about TRUST – an absolutely imperative element of communication. Trust me! (You can skim this short email or dive in to the many links to learn … Read More
How do you know whether to trust someone? How do you communicate that you are trustworthy? Trust is imperative. If you don’t have trust, you have nothing. And that goes for both interpersonal relationships as well as for brands. Baron Manett, marketer and founder of Per Se Brand Experience shares his insights on the significance … Read More
I hope you had a great week! In this week’s Talk About Talk email blog, we talk and learn about HOW TO SUPPORT OUR GRIEVING FRIENDS. (You can skim this short email or dive in to the many links to learn more!) ? PODCAST #19: HOW TO SUPPORT OUR GRIEVING FRIENDS with psychotherapist & grief counsellor Andrea Warnick At the … Read More
Beyond condolences, how can we best support a grieving friend? Grief counsellor Andrea Warnick tells us what to say and do, and what to avoid. For example: yes, use the “D” word; and do not try to “fix” it. The grieving process is not linear. Rather, it is like a squiggly line. So what should … Read More
