Articles on Communication

Sep 11, 2020

6 Steps to Communicate across your Organisation

6 STEPS TO COMMUNICATING ACROSS YOUR ORGANISATION Communicating effectively is challenging. Communication within an organisation is the foundation for development and […]

Nov 09, 2020

What is the price of connectivity?

I’d like to relay an incident that occurred recently, while facilitating a course at New Horizons. I noted that some students seem to be checking on their mobiles quite […]

Oct 26, 2020

Finally, technology proves the benefits of face-to-face interaction

In a fascinating article by Alex “Sandy” Pentland*, entitled Betting on People Power, he shows how research with “wearable computing” at M.I.T. has led to the […]

Nov 05, 2020

What’s new in Skype for Business

Skype for Business is the redesigned and rebranded version of Microsoft Lync. You will be amazed with the power and simplicity of Skype for Business where it is easy to […]

Jun 17, 2020

How to give a killer presentation or…not let your presentation kill you!

In preparing for a recent training I gave on ‘Conducting Webinars,’ I came across a Harvard Business Review (HBR) article written by TED Talks’ Curator, Chris Anderson […]

Jun 10, 2020

Different communication styles – the best communicators know this, so should you (Part 2)

In my last blog post of this two part series, I explained the 4 primary communication styles taken from New Horizons' Advanced Interpersonal Communication course. As […]

May 27, 2021

The science of presenting (Part 3)

This is the third and final part of the Science of Presenting series. Make sure you read parts one and two. I hope you enjoy them. Logic The audience or learner must […]

May 20, 2021

The art of thinking clearly

In one of my previous blog posts, I wrote about how in a recent training I was conducting on influence and persuasion, one of the participants asked me if I could […]

May 13, 2021

How to avoid reinventing the wheel

There’s never enough time, yet we still manage to reinvent the wheel! Recently, I was reminded of the fact that I probably waste a lot of time reinventing the wheel. […]

May 06, 2021

Different communication styles, Part 1 – the best communicators know this, so should you.

One area I spend a lot of time teaching students is different communication styles. I discuss the importance of knowing their communication style, its effect on others, […]

Apr 22, 2021

The Moth: a bright idea that can help you influence better

In a recent training session I was conducting on Effective Influencing and Persuasion, one of the participants asked me if I could recommend a book on storytelling so […]

Apr 01, 2021

Keep calm, stay cool and carry on…or how not to kill your family!

I find having lots of people around me all the time, a very stressful experience. Particularly in my family, everyone is very forthright (or should that read […]

Dec 10, 2020

Fruitcakes and lines in the sand

I know I’m biased but my mum makes a fantastic Christmas cake; really moist, full of fruit and enough rum to sink a pirate-ship. Every year she makes eight, gives one to […]

Nov 26, 2020

Fabulous, fitting feedback

Feedback is sometimes difficult to deliver when it is unpleasant, or makes either or both parties feel uncomfortable. For whatever reason, sometimes the skills are […]

Nov 05, 2020

Killer Fillers

In the past three weeks, I have had two separate people in training who, on numerous occasions, said “to be honest” in front of what they were about to share. Both were […]

Oct 29, 2020

Taking the emotion out of feedback

One of the greatest challenges managers face is how to give constructive feedback that results in their employee feeling positive and motivated to change their behaviour […]

Oct 15, 2020

Less is more, not more is more

I know that I have sometimes felt unsure of myself, or of my audience’s knowledge, around a particular topic when writing or speaking with them, and have made the fatal […]

Oct 08, 2020

6 tips to help master the art of influence

Are you having trouble getting your ideas for change across to your customers or those within your organisation who have the power to influence and make things […]

Sep 17, 2020

Telling people that their feet smell and other delightful office conversations

She arrives at her desk in the open-plan office, her feet, hot and sweaty. She takes off her shoes, switches on the small fan she’s bought to cool her feet and all […]

Sep 03, 2020

The Silver Rule of Negotiation

It may be a scam but tourists in Cairo are told that the scents that are used in Parisienne perfumes come from the rare flowers of the desert and are extracted in Egypt […]

Aug 27, 2020

Communication Across Generations – Quiz

To recap from one of my blog posts many months ago, I briefly explained 4 key generations that we often find within the workplace: 1. The Silent Generation […]

Aug 13, 2020

4 techniques to improve your active listening skills

Why is it so difficult to stay focused and actively engaged in some conversations? One of the main reasons is that we listen faster than we talk. In today's […]

Aug 06, 2020

MH-17 and words

My brother is a journalist, working and living in Russia. He does proffer a different view on what is happening in the Ukraine than the stories we get over here. […]

Jul 30, 2020

Assertiveness – From theory to practice

I spend a lot of my time conducting communication skills programs for employees from a range of different industries. The employees are different in as many ways as they […]

Jun 04, 2021

Communicating clearly to save time and money

Say what you mean so that the other person also knows what you mean! English is a language of great subtlety, with a rich and nuanced vocabulary. Unfortunately, it is […]

May 14, 2021

EAs and PAs: Asking your boss the right questions

I was recently reminded that there are some basics of communication, which could stand a bit of revision. I am talking about the quality of questions that we ask, […]