PowerPointer #1 - Stop Reading
Last Saturday, I had to go to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription for my daughter who got the flu.  The tech at the window showed me the box and said, “The pharmacist will be right with you to go over the instructions.”  I glanced at the box and it said - Take 2x times a day.  “Hmm.  There must be something special to this,” I thought.  The pharmacist came over, looked at the box, looked at me, smiled (and I know this has happened to you) and said, “Pretty simple.  She needs to take this twice a day.”  I waited 5 minutes to have him read me the box! How many times have you been to a presentation where someone used a PowerPoint

Wardrobe Malfunction…
Here’s a best practices for all you speakers, trainers, and presenters.  Bring an extra shirt. I’m in Leavenworth, WA about to give a training on leadership, team building, and goal setting.  I am just getting into my suit with about 2 hours to go before start time.  I avoid eating breakfast with my “good clothes” to miss the inevitable spillage.  Here’s a new one… I put on my favorite blue mock sweater to go with my black suit.  I love that outfit.  To my horror, I notice a tear on the seam of the sweater under my left armpit!  OUCH!  I brought no other shirts other than the golf shirt I wore to drive in yesterday and that won

Are You a Victi or Competitor?
“Adversity makes weak people victims and strong people competitors.” Bruce Brown - This is a quote Seahawks head coach Jim Mora recently cited during a press conference. The same theory is true in business. Look around. Who are the victims and who are the competitors in your world? Which one are you? Cheers,

Questions and Answers Strategy
I gave a 60-minute presentation this morning for the Nursing Management students at Olympic College in Bremerton.  One of the questions was on dealing with questions and answers in a presentation.  Here are a few strategies to consider… - Never end with Q&A.  I know you see it about 98% of the time, but it’s wrong.  As Patricia Fripp says, “Last words linger and you want them to be yours!”  If you leave Q&A until the end, you are subject to the quality of the questions.  That’s how your presentation will be remembered and if the questions are bad, it hurts your presentation. You want your carry-out mess

Practicing What I Preach
I have been a lector at my church for the past 6 years and absolutely love it.  Two weeks ago, we had a lunch meeting with the priest and he asked us to consider singing the words “The Word of the Lord.”  Singing!  Now, I have no problem getting up in front of the congregation, or anyone, and speaking.  But, singing?  Even if it was only 5 words, I was intent on turning down the offer. Last week, the lector at Mass accepted the challenge.  What do you know, a bolt of lightning didn’t break through the church and strike him down!  I realized that I was doing what I tell others not to do.  It was time to practice what I preach. You see, it’s no