We shot a few videos recently focusing on some of the fundamental aspects of our work. Here are two that define meetings and presentations as Orderly Conversations. Understanding the consequences of that definition helps facilitators plan and run more effective meetings. Meetings and Presentations are Not Speeches Transcript: “When it comes to improving face-to-face communication,...
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Meeting the Hybrid Challenge
April 15, 2024
Like it or not, hybrid meetings (some people in a room together and others logging in virtually) seem to be here to stay. We’ve all gone from “I’d better learn to use Zoom” to clicking on Join Meeting in our sleep. However, mastery of the software doesn’t mean mastery of the process of planning and...
read moreThree Steps to Improve Listening Skills
April 15, 2024
Active listening is one of the many communication skills we help our clients develop in our communication skills workshops. Like so many communication skills, we need to be intentional in their use until they develop into a habit. Recently, I read an article in the Harvard Business Review titled “What Is Active Listening” by Amy...
read moreEffective Meetings Start with a Clear Purpose and Context
February 29, 2024
We were in the midst of a complex, multi-part training at a Fortune 500 company, and the topic of conversation was employees being invited to meetings but having no idea why they were invited or what they were expected to contribute. One of us asked whether meeting invitations came with a topic description or a...
read moreHow a Simple Nod Can Make Business Communication Better
February 29, 2024
We spend a lot of time helping people succeed as trainers, meeting facilitators, and presenters. That work focuses on helping people initiate and manage the conversation that takes place in each of these settings. What we rarely focus on is the role of the people receiving the training, participating in the meeting, or listening to...
read moreThe Orderly Email: Best Practices That Will Enhance Your Brand
January 11, 2024
Most of our blog content focuses on presentations and meetings because that’s at the heart of our business. However, if you aim to be a good presenter and meeting leader, you’ll want to elevate your written communication as well. Emails are a good place to start as they are the most frequent communications that people...
read moreProfessionalizing High-tech and High-stakes Training Techniques with Ex-military Personnel: A Case Study
December 5, 2023
When people participate in Turpin workshops, individual members and teams enjoy a host of secondary benefits beyond greater comfort with their own communication skills. Managers and leaders are often pleasantly surprised by how team meetings become more efficient, leadership skills start to emerge, relationships blossom, and so on. We often hear that teams “Turpinize” their...
read moreWhen Librarians Become Fundraisers for Their University: A Case Study
November 27, 2023
When people participate in Turpin workshops, individual members and teams enjoy a host of secondary benefits beyond greater comfort with their own communication skills. Managers and leaders are often pleasantly surprised by how team meetings become more efficient, leadership skills start to emerge, relationships blossom, and so on. We often hear that teams “Turpinize” their...
read moreReduce the Cognitive Load: How Presenters Can Make It Easier for Their Audiences
November 8, 2023
Something we can all relate to is being confused when sitting through a presentation. The presenter is talking in circles, and the slide on the screen is a jumbled mess. We struggle to make sense of the information on the slide, and then we realize we haven’t heard a thing the person has said. Sound...
read moreProfessionalizing Subject Matter Experts to Become Expert Trainers in a High-Tech Active Learning Classroom: A Case Study
November 1, 2023
When people participate in Turpin workshops, individual members and teams enjoy a host of secondary benefits beyond greater comfort with their own communication skills. Managers and leaders are often pleasantly surprised by how team meetings become more efficient, leadership skills start to emerge, relationships blossom, and so on. We often hear that teams “Turpinize” their...
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