Now I'm not a professional teacher or lecturer but I bet the hardest aspect about teaching adults is the incompetency part. The students aren't able to replicate what the teacher displayed or they're not quite grasping it as quickly as their classmates and so they beat themselves up or sit out or disrupt the class … Continue reading Incompetence frustration →

I think drama by and large can be nipped in the bud the sooner it's dealt with. For example in their one to one Kevin's manager informs him that he wants Kevin to work overtime next month. Kevin doesn't want to work overtime. In fact Kevin is outraged at being asked but he doesn't voice … Continue reading Drama bud nipped →

I don't think it's considered mansplaining when the man is an expert in the subject. I also don't think it's mansplaining when the man humbly offers their opinion and acknowledges they could be wrong. I think it's mansplaining when the tone feels condescending, when we don't believe the man to be a credible source and the man … Continue reading Mansplaining →

How was your weekend?Sometimes this is a sincere query and the questioner wants to hear a lengthy detailed answer and sometimes all they're doing is stalling for time so a short answer will do.It's handy to know the difference but not the end of the world if you don't. If in doubt I think the … Continue reading Sincere or stalling →

At some point the latest obnoxious act from Ultan becomes boring.Because that's Ultan's thing. He's obnoxious.And it doesn't move the needle round the water cooler.Now, if Ultan were to start hugging people or sobbing uncontrollably that would be a different story. That would be interesting. As a PR specialist once said:'Dog bites man' isn't newsworthy but 'Man bites … Continue reading Man bites dog →

"Greatness, no matter how brief, stays with a man.” Gene Hackman in The Replacements. I think the same is true of beautiful emotional moments. I think they linger longer than your average moment. They replay in your head over and over again in the immediate aftermath and they show off their potency when remembered years … Continue reading Beautiful moments →

The comedian holds the audience in the palm of her hand when she starts to detail a serious and sad experience.The audience wants out. They want to laugh or cry or applaud. Anything to relieve this tension!Then the comedian hits them with the punchline, releasing the tension and it gains the biggest laugh of the … Continue reading Creating, holding and releasing tension →

Knowledge says today is Johnny's birthday but tact is knowing not to suggest everyone at the funeral sing him happy birthday. Knowledge can get you far but tact saves you from fiascos.

They won't let me work on my dream projects! Really? They explicitly said that you can't work on it? Well... They came to your desk and stopped you working on it? Em... Well actually I was being sent other things to do and I took them instead because I was afraid of working on and … Continue reading They’re stopping me →

I think what separates the good from the truly charismatic speakers is the perceived level of comfort. They might be terrified and anxious on the inside but if the crowd only sees a relaxed and calm persona it is extremely impressive. I was at a stand up comedy gig recently and with the warm up … Continue reading Comfortably charismatic →