The title of David Brook’s recent article in the Atlantic had me bemused and saddened. It’s such a consequential issue that speaks somewhat to how much we’ve removed our ability…

I carry this picture in my wallet. It’s an old black and white photo of me on a donkey on Blackpool beach, aged two and a half. Why do I…

An after dinner speech can be a great opportunity to share stories, entertain our audience, and make a lasting impression. But that opportunity comes with certain challenges. Your audience might…

In today’s fast-paced and increasingly interconnected world, effective team communication is more critical than ever before. It’s the glue that binds employees together, fostering collaboration, innovation, and productivity. In this…

 I know things are tough in the world right now but there are millions of people going about their daily lives being kind and compassionate. Let’s spread a little…

Being asked to read in a religious service is a great honour, whatever our faith. But for many, it can fill us with dread – whether we are there in…

When you were at school, did you ever win a cup? The Mathematics Cup? The Science Cup? The Sports Cup? It seemed that every year at Prize Giving a handful…

  … We now have listeners in almost every country in the world, with more listeners in North America than in the UK. If you’re a regular listener, can I…

According to the podcast search engine Listen Notes, we are now in the top 3% most listened to podcasts in the world! With over 128 million podcasts in their directory,…

I am delighted, as I’m sure you are, that we are starting to shake hands again. Historians tell us that our ancestors, the chimps, have been shaking hands in some…

This four minute speech is a masterclass in fundraising and how to engage an audience. How does he manage to appear so natural, authentic and spontaneous?     Of course,…

Do you remember as a child being forced to write thank-you letters for birthday or Christmas presents? I was one of five children and, as we opened our presents, we…

You’ve probably heard of the Method School of Acting – popular with actors like Dustin Hoffman, Daniel Day-Lewis and Meryl Streep. Konstantin Stanislavski was a Russian actor and acting teacher,…

Some people say they don’t like to rehearse because it makes them feel stale or somehow false.  They want to feel authentic and free-flowing. They often feel more relaxed in…

A leopard doesn’t get up in the morning and think, ‘Am I a good leopard or a bad leopard?’ It just says, ‘I’m a leopard!’ But us humans seem to…

You might have seen UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson at a recent press conference repeating, ‘Next slide, please. Next slide, please.’ It was comic. It should have been rehearsed so…

Did you know that over 60% of UK workers think their boss does not possess good leadership skills – and 40% actually left a previous job because of this. My…

1.   ‘OK, shall I start my presentation?’ When we go into a store to buy something, we want the salesperson to tell us, in their own words, why the product…

We’re in an unprecedented third lockdown which, for nearly all businesses, means working from home or remotely and communicating virtually. Nothing can beat the banter, the ability to connect and…

It’s hard to get back into work mode after the Christmas break, but it’s even harder than usual this year.  Working remotely isn’t easy and being away from colleagues can…

I don’t know about you, but I didn’t realise how much I missed shaking hands. We’ve clearly been taking it for granted for years. I’m a great one for shaking…

I don’t know about you, but I’m generally pretty punctual. I’ve been an actor for over 30 years and the one thing you learn as an actor is that if…

One of the biggest problems when we try to sell a product, an idea, or even ourselves at a job interview, is that we can easily look like we’re selling.…

We don’t really associate listening with communication. We know listening is a natural part of the communication process. When we converse with someone, we’re not the only ones talking the…

There is an etiquette to sending flowers. Which do you give someone on their birthday? Which do you chose for a funeral? Which do you take to a friend in…

When somebody says ‘public speaking’, one of the images we immediately create in our heads is of someone standing on a stage speaking to a large group of audience, like…

Our elders often given us the best advice. Growing up, my grandfather would share so many priceless gems with me. I’d like to share just two of these: Sometimes it’s…

It’s one of those conversations you dread, but asking for a pay rise is becoming more and more commonplace. A recent poll of 2,000 workers found that more than half…

Many of us do not enjoy disagreement and conflict and see it as very negative and unhealthy. This isn’t always the case. Here, I give my reply to select questions…

Stand up whilst waiting/login early We are often shown into a boardroom before an interview and offered a seat whilst we wait. Don’t take it. You don’t want their first…

Nobody relishes the challenge of having a ‘difficult conversation’ in a professional or personal sense, however, these can unfortunately occur frequently in the workplace; the most challenging of these being…

Whether your interview is face-to-face or via video call, here are three mistakes many of us naively fall into and must avoid. Don’t sell Never look like you’re selling. Try…

In video calls, we are afforded the ‘luxury’ (if you can call it that) to zone out and stop paying attention. In a group video call, someone can mute themselves…

For many of us, video calling is a very new phenomenon that we’re trying to get used to. On one hand, we have technical questions: How do they work? How…