Just as surely as the sun will rise tomorrow in the east, politicians and business types will continue to forget the presence of a live microphone at precisely the wrong times. Consider President Obama talking sotto voce with Dmitry Medvedev after a joint appearance a couple of weeks ago, confiding to the Russian President thatRead… Read more »
Public Speaking: Stand & Deliver I’ve been coaching candidates for the Presidential Management Fellowship’s in-person assessment lately, and one part of the assessment process is a 5-minute policy presentation which each candidate must deliver in front of a panel of judges. Public speaking is, for many people, scarier than watching Aliens while on PCP. ScarierRead… Read more »
As a speaker, writer and leader I’m always looking to follow in the mind-prints of, or at least understand and hopefully emulate, Nobel-prize winning scientist, Albert Szent Gyorgyi’s “elegantly simple” words: “Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought!” With originality as frame, form and function, whatRead… Read more »
A lot of news gets made about an event like the one that just happened yesterday in the Sidney Harmon Theater downtown DC. FedTalks by FedScoop featured some really high power speakers like Craig Newmark from Craig’s List, Arianna Huffington from the Huffington Post, Congressman Jim Moran, and others. The subject for the event “HowRead… Read more »
How many spokespeople does your organization have? How many officials from your organization are tasked with ‘spreading the word,’ and talking with different constituents about your mission, the services and support you provide, or new programs that you’re implementing? When it comes to implementing effective outreach, it is crucial that every spokesperson for your organizationRead… Read more »
I have, to date, spoken at some two dozen seminars, conferences, panels or other public events where the audience is not my coworkers. Not bragging, just saying that I’ve been to a few. Enough, I hope, to give an observation without having the more seasoned public speakers of the world laugh too hard. I knowRead… Read more »
Over the last week, I’ve spent several hour reviewing proposals for 3 conferences. As such, I think I have a few tips on how to get your proposal accepted: 1 – Have a gov’t person speak. Honestly, if it is just you and your a vendor, I’m scared it is a product pitch for yourRead… Read more »
Long before the Internet social networking was a diplomatic tool. The words “diplomatic” and “reception” go naturally together. So naturally that diplomats are negatively stereotyped as “cookie pushers” (i.e. spending all their time at receptions serving appetizers). But, no doubt about it, a core element of diplomacy is networking socially and professionally … and communicating.Read… Read more »
In the coming months, I’ll be posting a series of columns about public sector leadership that are from my web site GovLeaders.org. This first one, by Ray Blunt, is about combatting the culture of fear that exists in too many workplace. Your comments are most welcome! – Don By Ray Blunt Before Mel Gibson caughtRead… Read more »