Communication Archives

How to Talk About Happiness (Daniel Gilbert)

Have you tried to talk about happiness but don’t know how to describe it? What two propositions did Daniel Gilbert give on how to discuss happiness? Daniel Gilbert is an award-winning writer, teacher, and researcher in social psychology. In his book Stumbling on Happiness, Gilbert points out why it’s difficult to talk about happiness. He proposes two methods for discussing happiness despite the difficulties. Here’s how to have a constructive talk about happiness.

How to Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking

Do you have a fear of public speaking? Why is public speaking so scary? Almost everyone fears public speaking. In fact, multiple surveys list it as people’s number one fear—more common than a fear of heights, snakes, and even death. According to Chris Anderson, the author of TED Talks, the fear of public speaking is normal, but it must be overcome if you want to be successful in any professional endeavor. Here’s how to overcome the fear of public speaking, according to Anderson.

Public Speaking: Strategies for Success

What makes a great speech? What are some things you need to consider to plan an effective speech? To make an impactful and memorable speech, it’s essential to have a strategy in place. The first step in planning your strategy is to identify what type of speech you’re giving: explanatory—when you teach your audience something new, persuasive—when you try to change your audience’s mind, or “revelatory” or imaginative—when you aim to delight or inspire. Let’s explore how public speaking strategies differ depending on the type of speech.

Should You Script Your Speech? Advice From TED Talks

7 Life Lessons From Charlie Munger’s Speeches

Is it a good idea to write a speech script? What are the potential downsides of speaking from a script? According to Chris Anderson, the author of TED Talks, scripting has both benefits and downsides, and depending on your confidence level, it may or may not be a good idea. If public speaking evokes great anxiety, scripting can help. But speaking from a script can make your speech bland and dispassionate. If you decide to write a speech script, consider if you are going to read off the script or memorize it. Let’s consider the risks and benefits of both.

How to Handle Tough Topics to Talk About

Do you have some tough topics to talk about? How do you handle difficult situations that may arise? The book Crucial Accountability teaches readers how to deal with tricky situations that may arise when you have tough topics to talk about. These points can apply to many kinds of difficult conversations. Keep reading to find out how to handle tough topics to talk about in life, work, and relationships.

How to Give an Explanatory Speech: Tips & Strategies

What’s an explanatory speech? What are some things you should consider when explaining a difficult concept or idea to an uninitiated audience? An explanatory speech is one where you’re teaching your audience something new or explaining a difficult concept. The key to delivering an effective explanatory speech is to be mindful of your audience’s level of knowledge on the matter in question. To that end, beware of the curse of knowledge: just because something is basic knowledge for you, it doesn’t mean it is so for everyone. Here are some things to keep me in mind when giving an explanatory

Persuasive Speaking: 5 Strategies for Success

What strategies do master persuaders use to sway people to their point of view? How can you implement those strategies? To change someone’s opinion, you must nudge them in your direction one small step at a time so that by the end, your argument is completely plausible in their minds. You should start by priming your audience, and by the end, they should be motivated to make a change. In the middle, you can employ strategies such as appealing to logic, discrediting the opposite stance, or guiding them to the conclusion through the process of elimination. Here are five persuasive speaking

Contrasting Statements: Useful Tools For Trustbuilding

What are contrasting statements? How can you use them to build trust and mutual respect in a discussion? In the book Crucial Accountability, the authors talk about how contrasting statements can build mutual respect when the other person is feeling unsafe in a conversation. Contrasting statements are the building blocks of good discussions, whereas feeling a lack of mutual respect and having different motives ruins them. Keep reading to learn how to use contrasting statements to build mutual respect in a relationship.

Crucial Accountability: Book Review & Context

Are you looking for a Crucial Accountability book review? What is the historical and intellectual context of the book? This Crucial Accountability book review has the answers. Crucial Accountability was published as part of the Crucial Learning series to discuss the importance of accountability conversations and how to effectively manage them. Keep reading to explore our Crucial Accountability book review.

Public Speaking: Voice and Body Language Tips

What makes a good public speaking voice? Is it better to speak in a flat or oscillating voice? Where should you put emphasis as you speak? The best speech in the world will fall flat if the speaker doesn’t appear and sound genuine and passionate. According to Chris Anderson, the author of TED Talks, there are three things you can do with your voice and body to be as enigmatic as possible when speaking. Here’s how to bring your best to stage using voice and movement.