Keep Your Personal Opinions to Yourself, Unless….
When you are speaking with the media or delivering a presentation, your job is to represent your company or organization, not yourself. Your personal opinions usually are not relevant and can get in the way of your key messages. But there are exceptions. In an interview with ABC News, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson declines to give his personal opinion about whether municipalities should take down Confederate statues. Then he circles back and offers his personal opinion where it is appropriate as governor of his state. Hutchinson’s answer serves him well because he reserves his personal opinion only to a situation…
Managing Meeting Melee
A contentious issue, angry people, and impassioned opinions are the recipe for a public meeting that can spiral out of control. That is what happened when a debate over defunding police led to an emotional disruption of the Norman, Oklahoma City Council meeting. Here is a short clip of the unfortunate scene: How can a public meeting melee be avoided? Adequate security plays a role but diffusing the emotion early on is even more important. The Terri Ammerman Group created our High Emotion Public Meeting Training workshop to give our clients the tools to manage emotions that often arise during…
Who’s on First?
Remember the classic Abbott & Costello “Who’s on First” routine? Referring to a baseball team, Lou Costello keeps asking Bud Abbott who’s playing first base. Abbott responds “Who” because “Who” is the actual name of the first baseman. The answer leaves Costello totally bamboozled. If you are not familiar with this routine, we recommend you google it. Be prepared to laugh. What is not funny, however, is when the real life WHO, the World Health Organization, offers a head-scratching explanation about asymptomatic Covid 19. Is there really such a thing or are the symptoms simply different? The WHO’s Dr. Maria…
Was the Long Trudeau Pause Worth the Wait?
When asked an unexpected difficult question, The Terri Ammerman Group believes a short pause of five to seven seconds can make you appear thoughtful before you give an answer. This week Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took that concept to a new level when he waited 21 seconds before answering a question about President Trump’s handling of street demonstrations. Was the pause too long? Should Trudeau have anticipated the question and been more prepared with an answer? Take a look and tell us what you think. Ultimately, Trudeau delivered his message effectively and we give him points for that. But…
Say Virtual Visual Three Times Fast
You are participating in a zoom meeting or being interviewed remotely at home. Your tendency may be to slump in your chair, dress sloppily and look away from the camera. All are mistakes you should not repeat. Virtual Visual. It is not just a tongue twister. It should be a strong reminder that the way you look in virtual communications is just as important as it is in person. Even very bright people, such as billionaire businessman Sam Zell, can fall into the trap of ignoring the visual and thereby diminish his ability to deliver his message effectively. Here is…