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TED TALK

PURPLE SNOW DROP
Trump vs Aristotle – that would be great television. My money’s on the ancient guy
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Has there ever been a global political event which provoked so much scrutiny of the participants’ communication style/tone? The already infamous Zelensky/Trump/Vance ‘conversation’ at the White House has given us endless hours of debate and analysis. I was struck by the lack of restraint, an absence of moderation, a dearth of statesmanlike language. It felt a bit like a teenage tantrum (apologies to teenagers) and it’s not how politicians and leaders have typically behaved, particularly in public. The other notable element for me was the comment ‘it’ll make great television’. A giveaway that everything is about performance rather than substance….

March 6, 2025 Read more
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Career tips from the London Marathon
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Seven hours, 45 minutes, 54 seconds. In that time, you could fly to New York; watch most of the Lord of the Rings trilogy or perform a heart transplant. It’s the time I took to complete the London Marathon on 21 April. Injured, hobbling, and unsure whether the body would hold out for 26.2 miles, it was not what I’d planned. But I made it and I have the same finishers medal as Peres Jepchirchir who ran a record- breaking two hours, 16 minutes, 16 seconds. I clearly got more value from my entry fee! But of course, marathon day…

June 26, 2024 Read more
PURPLE SNOW DROP
Authenticity and humility – the keys to an audience’s attention (and wallet)
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I recently had the terrifying pleasure of MC-ing a charity fundraising ball for Home Start (Wandsworth) – a brilliant organisation which gives families a helping hand when they’re going through a rough patch. https://www.home-start.org.uk/about-us I’ve worked on corporate events for two decades so I’m ok in front of a crowd. In fact, it’s a role I relish because you can genuinely contribute to the success of a conference by making the audience feel included; by facilitating interesting conversations; by setting an appropriate tone for the occasion. At the average corporate gig, the objective of the host is to extract, solicit…

May 28, 2022 Read more
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Go on, pop the question – it’s 29 February!
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Happy Leap Day. It’s the one day every four years when, according to ancient tradition, women can propose marriage. It’s got me thinking in general about questions and their value in and out of the workplace. We’re living in an era with more channels than ever before to ‘broadcast’ our thoughts and ideas. I wonder if that’s influencing the way we communicate. Are we getting out of the habit of soliciting others’ opinions and properly listening to each other (you’ll remember I banged on about this in my TEDx talk recently – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7_UI9gNg_o). So, on this special day, here are…

February 29, 2020 Read more
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The twelve gifts of Christmas communication
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On the first day of Christmas I realised that preparation is the key to success On the second day of Christmas I started to eliminate those JENGA (filler) words On the third day of Christmas I recognised the power of stillness to demonstrate gravitas On the fourth day of Christmas I reminded myself not to be put off by audience members who look bored or even hostile. It’s more than likely just their concentrating demeanour On the fifth day of Christmas I learned the importance of brevity On the sixth day of Christmas it was obvious how tough and how…

December 24, 2019 Read more
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A tale of two talks – what the Prince might have learned from TED
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Not long after I had vacated the TED red dot, I watched the Prince Andrew interview. It occurred to me that he could have achieved a better outcome if he’d followed the most fundamental tenet of communication: the first mantra we adopt in my training room. No interview or presentation is ‘about’ the speaker (even when the questions are centred on your judgment/sexual conduct). It’s about and for the audience. This became crystal clear to me during the preparation for my TEDx talk. Taking time at the outset to understand the audience enables you to resonate and empathise with them;…

November 30, 2019 Read more
Why is my TEDx talk so short?
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8 days to go until my TEDx talk at the Open University. I’m very excited. I have 14 minutes to convince the world to join my crusade. 840 seconds to encourage people to value human to human communication as much as they value their technology. You see, I’m frightened that in our excitement about all the amazing things technology gives and promises us, we’re losing what I think is our most fundamental life skill. All around us – in homes, cars, offices, restaurants, chambers of government – two things are happening. 1. People are not listening and talking to each…

October 31, 2019 Read more