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Mirror, mirror, on the wall…

This weekend, many of my experiences seemed to revolve around the ideas of mirrors, mimicry, and imitation. It felt like a convergence of the universe onto this topic, something I like to call…

The Universe is Talking to Me

Mirrors were oce considered supernatural and taboo… Image "Touch" by Katie Tegtmeyer, Flickr, CC-By-2.0
Mirrors were oce considered supernatural and taboo… Image “Touch” by Katie Tegtmeyer, Flickr, CC-By-2.0

Continue reading “Mirror, mirror, on the wall…”

Just Say No

The late Jim Camp, one of the worlds “most feared negotiators,” was a big fan of the word No.

Camp even wrote a few books around this idea, No and Start with No.

Photo "CL Society 218: Crossing arms" by Francisco Osorio, Flickr, CC-By-2.0
“I said No and I mean No!” Photo “CL Society 218: Crossing arms” by
Francisco Osorio, Flickr, CC-By-2.0

No, Camp reasoned, allowed people to hold on to the status quo. No didn’t require action, No didn’t force someone to do something they weren’t prepared to do.

Continue reading “Just Say No”

Is it useful to bore your audience?

730am

Saint Paul

 

Hey there!

Yesterday we discussed the importance of your tone of voice, specifically how being monotone works against your ability to hold someone’s attention.

If your voice has no texture, basically, there’s nothing to hook your listeners’ ears.

"Brain" by wyinoue, Flickr, CC-By-2.0
Can we tap directly into someone’s brain? “Brain” by wyinoue, Flickr, CC-By-2.0

But… I mentioned that maybe you want to be boring and monotone, on occasion.

What might that occasion be? Continue reading “Is it useful to bore your audience?”

Don’t you use that tone with me…

5:59am
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Have you ever sat through a presentation, and it could barely hold your attention?

The speaker drones on…
“…and in this chart you can see the market share projection…”

Ug take me out back and shoot me.

Are you engaging when you speak? Photo "Preacher" by daliscar1, Flicker, CC-By-2.0
Are you engaging when you speak? Photo “Preacher” by daliscar1, Flicker, CC-By-2.0

Vocal tones, speed, and silence are the punctuation to our spoken words. But most people —you and I included— forget the importance of Continue reading “Don’t you use that tone with me…”

Please, don’t support poor design when you buy household items

Donald A. Norman knows good design.

The author of “The Design of Everyday Things” (Amazon link) (PRL Summary link) tells us that the objects we use are improved when they share common characteristics.

Reinventing the wheel, in other words, is not only unnecessary, but it can actively work against brain patterns and muscle memory people have developed. Continue reading “Please, don’t support poor design when you buy household items”