I have moderated dozens of panels throughout my career. Unfortunately, I have also been in the audience for many panels. I say “unfortunately” because panels can be the laziest, least educational format on earth. These tips will transform your panel presentations into brilliant and memorable experiences. Tips for Moderators 1. Do your homework! When planning …
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During our recent long spell of online presentations, I noticed something important. In the first few minutes of air time, presenters often either: Launched a poll. This often took longer than expected, and could dilute participants’ focus on the topic itself. OR (more often) Presenters didn’t try to hook their audiences at all. Instead, they …
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Most staff participate in an average of 15 meetings a week, and 71% of senior managers say that meetings are unproductive. So I created 3 GRRRs:  “Guila’s Roars to Rehabilitate our Rendezvous”. These GRRRs will improve your meetings immediately: GRRR #1: Clearly Identify and State the Meeting’s Purpose The leader or group must determine beforehand …
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If you struggle being concise, clear and succinct when you present, this post will help you. Use the PRES frame to speak with directness and clarity.

We can lose much of our dynamism when we sit and speak. People can’t see our hands, our internal organs are “squished”, and we’re inhibited by lack of movement. If you must sit in this Zoom world,  these guidelines will help you exude energy: Scoot your hips toward the edge of the chair. Remove your …
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A few years ago, Adam Bryant of the New York Times interviewed 525 diverse CEOs. These leaders came from all walks of life and many ethnicities, but they all seemed to share five definitive characteristics. If you, like most, have struggled over the last year to keep your head above water, I believe these five …
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Do meeting participants have any responsibility beyond showing up, reporting, and trying to sound reasonably on top of things? Here’s my guiding principle: When we decide against trying to influence the quality of a meeting, we make the choice to live with the consequences. I understand that challenging a meeting leader can be difficult, especially …
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Like you, I participated in so many Zoom meetings and webinars over the years that I thought I really got it. So when it came time to create my first training session on Zoom, I knew I had it in the bag. I was wrong. Comfortable in My Passion My professional career has been about …
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If you’re an expert in something, you may eventually be asked to train others. These guidelines will make remote training easier for you, and more effective for those you teach. There are three essential elements to ensure great remote training: design, delivery, and tech. The unfortunate acronym for these guidelines is DDT. Design 1. Outcomes …
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