http://www.exec-comms.com/blog "...a new favorite blog for professional excellence in public speaking, speech-writing, and executive communications." - The Register, May 24, 2008 Wed, 16 May 2012 05:08:25 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 2006-2009 ian.griffin@exec-comms.com (Ian Griffin) ian.griffin@exec-comms.com (Ian Griffin) 1440 http://www.exec-comms.com/Pictures/0209_exe-comms_141.png http://www.exec-comms.com/blog 144 144 A forum for professional excellence in public speaking, speechwriting and executive communications. Speech, speechwriting, business, communications, presentations Ian Griffin Ian Griffin ian.griffin@exec-comms.com no no http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/05/15/interview-rachna-srivastava-geek-woman-speaker/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/05/15/interview-rachna-srivastava-geek-woman-speaker/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 05:08:25 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=4610 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/05/15/interview-rachna-srivastava-geek-woman-speaker/feed/ 0 0:06:06 Rachna Srivastava is a passionate speaker. Her goal is to inspire and empower girls, women and other underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering and math. Her vision is of a global program that nurtures and encourages technical and[...] Rachna Srivastava is a passionate speaker. Her goal is to inspire and empower girls, women and other underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering and math. Her vision is of a global program that nurtures and encourages technical and mathematical skills in women and other minority groups. Rachna is a software developer with 15 years experience in software analysis, design, development and implementation. Her educational background includes a Masters in Business Administration in Finance (MBA), Masters in Science in Statistics (MS) and Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. She is currently a Software Engineer at HP working with development teams in a complex, globally-dispersed environment. Before joining HP in 2010 she worked as a Software Engineer at IBM for nearly nine years. Women in Information Technology Rachna asks, “Did you know that in the next decade, the national demand for scientists and engineers is expected to increase four times that of all other occupations? But where are women? The population of women in information technology has dropped from 40% of the workforce in 1986 to only 20% now and the number is still dropping.” The importance of inclusion and diversity Rachna lists three reasons why we should care about having women leaders in technology: A recent study done at MIT shows that a well-managed diverse group produces more innovative solution to problems than homogeneous groups. Why is so? We know that to create innovation we have to have diversity of thoughts and in order to have diverse thoughts we need to have diverse set of people bringing these ideas. Women tend to be emphatic and empathy creates a more complete picture of issues, which contributes to changing consumer behavior. This understanding is critical to both product development and product marketing. Women are good collaborators, they are more likely to ask for advice and consider other peoples opinion. They encourage employees participation, and when employees participate they feel powerful and important and get them excited about their work. This is good not only for employees but also for the organization. You can read more on this and other topics on her Geek Woman Speaker blog. Pro-Track Profile I met with Rachna and asked her about her background and the initial steps she is taking on her journey to get the word out about her important message. To hear what she told me, and her impressions of the National Speakers Association Pro-Track class that she is part of, click on the podcast icon below. Podcasts Ian Griffin no no http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/05/08/relevant-resources-to-conquor-your-creative-block/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/05/08/relevant-resources-to-conquor-your-creative-block/#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 18:22:50 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=4580 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/05/08/relevant-resources-to-conquor-your-creative-block/feed/ 0 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/04/16/social-speech-podcast-with-rob-cottingham/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/04/16/social-speech-podcast-with-rob-cottingham/#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2012 19:32:09 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=4568 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/04/16/social-speech-podcast-with-rob-cottingham/feed/ 0 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/04/10/guest-posting-the-5-best-alternatives-to-powerpoint-by-joanne-westley/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/04/10/guest-posting-the-5-best-alternatives-to-powerpoint-by-joanne-westley/#comments Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:06:56 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=4550 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/04/10/guest-posting-the-5-best-alternatives-to-powerpoint-by-joanne-westley/feed/ 1 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/04/09/interview-cynthia-klein-speaker-educator-author/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/04/09/interview-cynthia-klein-speaker-educator-author/#comments Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:17:12 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=4357 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/04/09/interview-cynthia-klein-speaker-educator-author/feed/ 0 0:06:07 Since 1994, Cynthia Klein has been guiding parents to creating happy and healthy families. As a speaker to over three hundred groups, Cynthia has given parents the tools and confidence to improve their family dynamics. Her presentations are interact[...] Since 1994, Cynthia Klein has been guiding parents to creating happy and healthy families. As a speaker to over three hundred groups, Cynthia has given parents the tools and confidence to improve their family dynamics. Her presentations are interactive, highly visual and easy for parents to apply to their own family situations. Parents leave encouraged that they are able to make positive changes. Cynthia’s clients have included the parents at Stanford University, Kaiser Permanente, The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, The Children’s Health Council and Hewlett-Packard. Cynthia works privately with parents who want to make permanent improvements in their families. The wisdom she has gained from successfully raising her strong-willed young adult daughter is invaluable in understanding each parent’s struggle and prescribing the correct solutions. Her success lies in her amazing ability to first accurately assess family dynamics. Then Cynthia creates unique and individualized strategies during her interviews with the parents. This fine-tuned approach fixes the foundation of family problems. Parents gain wisdom of how to apply their newly learned beliefs and actions to other family situations. Cynthia authors the Middle School Mom column for the Parenting on the Peninsula magazine. Her education background includes a B.A. in Psychology from Berkeley and a Training and Human Resources Certificate from U.C. Santa Cruz along with certificates from four parent education institutions. She has also been credentialed in California and New Mexico where she taught elementary school. Her greatest pride, though, is that her 23 year-old-college graduated daughter is self-sufficient, calls her for guidance and considers Cynthia her mentor. Cynthia’s website is Bridges 2 Understanding. Pro-Track Profile I met Cynthia at a recent National Speakers Association Northern California Chapter Pro-Track class and asked her about her professional focus and what attracted her to Pro-Track. To hear what she had to tell me, click on the podcast icon below. Podcasts Ian Griffin no no http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/31/guest-posting-the-power-of-intention-by-kate-peters/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/31/guest-posting-the-power-of-intention-by-kate-peters/#comments Sat, 31 Mar 2012 19:17:56 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=4504 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/31/guest-posting-the-power-of-intention-by-kate-peters/feed/ 3 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/21/book-review-10-steps-to-writing-a-vital-speech-by-fletcher-dean/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/21/book-review-10-steps-to-writing-a-vital-speech-by-fletcher-dean/#comments Wed, 21 Mar 2012 19:04:17 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=4377 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/21/book-review-10-steps-to-writing-a-vital-speech-by-fletcher-dean/feed/ 1 0:06:50 10 Steps to Writing a Vital Speech: The Definitive Guide to Professional Speechwriting, by Fletcher Dean Fletcher Dean is a working speechwriter at the Dow Chemical Company where he is Director of Leadership Communications. He’s also a regular[...] 10 Steps to Writing a Vital Speech: The Definitive Guide to Professional Speechwriting, by Fletcher Dean Fletcher Dean is a working speechwriter at the Dow Chemical Company where he is Director of Leadership Communications. He’s also a regular presenter at the Ragan Speechwriters Conference and delivered a half-day workshop at the 2012 event on How to make an audience listen: rewriting with the audience in mind. Dean mentions fellow Ragan presenters Mike Long and Pete Weissman in his book and the forward is by Vital Speeches of the Day editor David Murray, who is also the books’ publisher. In this book, Dean shares his insight on how to be a successful speechwriter, quoting Ron Kirpatrick, a veteran executive communications pro at Toyota: “Most writers and PR people would rather do anything than write a speech. It frightens them.” If you are new to speechwriting, this book will go a long way to removing any fears you might have about the challenges involved. It’s a quick read at just over 100 pages and is filled with nuggets of condensed wisdom, told in an unassuming, practical manner by a speechwriter who has been there and done that. The 10 steps to writing a speech, according the Dean: Know the audience Target the words Find the right material Tell a story How to say it: show or tell? Structure the speech Write the material Rewrite for clarity Using PowerPoint Coaching the speaker Some of the most enjoyable, and insightful, parts of the book are the analysis of icons of American rhetoric including General Douglas McArthur’s 1962 speech to West Point cadets and Robert Kennedy’s 1968 speech in Indianapolis on the night Martin Luther King was assassinated. Each chapter lists “Insider Tips”. These are nuggets of wisdom such as: Always write a second close to your talk, one that comes after any Question/Answer period if there is one. When the questions are over, hit the audience again with a second close of about one minute. It should include three items: a thank you for the opportunity to speak, a thank you for their interest, a quick summary of the key message. An added bonus are the Last Word and the Appendix which list practical tips that are worth the price of the book. Dean claims that Speechwriters have to be so much more than just good tacticians and excellent writers. In fact, you might do best to avoid being called a speechwriter altogether. He advises taking a more holistic view of the executive communications function, using your skills as a communicator to achieve the organizations’ goals. This book is a good overall introduction to the craft of speechwriting. Recommended. I caught up with Fletcher at the Speechwriters Conference and asked him about the background to the book and what future plans he has to author more books. As you can see from the picture, Fletcher makes sure he color-coordinates his tie with the cover of his book! To hear what he said, click on the podcast icon below. Podcasts, Speechwriting Ian Griffin no no http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/19/justina-chen-the-heart-of-storytelling/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/19/justina-chen-the-heart-of-storytelling/#comments Tue, 20 Mar 2012 02:14:29 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=4394 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/19/justina-chen-the-heart-of-storytelling/feed/ 4 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/17/138-top-tweets-from-the-2012-ragan-speechwriters-conference/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/17/138-top-tweets-from-the-2012-ragan-speechwriters-conference/#comments Sat, 17 Mar 2012 23:51:07 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=4416 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/17/138-top-tweets-from-the-2012-ragan-speechwriters-conference/feed/ 4 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/17/video-2012-ragan-speechwriting-conference/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/17/video-2012-ragan-speechwriting-conference/#comments Sat, 17 Mar 2012 18:27:19 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=4396 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/17/video-2012-ragan-speechwriting-conference/feed/ 1 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/16/16-tips-from-top-speechwriters/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/16/16-tips-from-top-speechwriters/#comments Fri, 16 Mar 2012 23:12:16 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=4401 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/16/16-tips-from-top-speechwriters/feed/ 0 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/15/presidential-speechwriters-call-for-more-discipline-by-candidates/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/15/presidential-speechwriters-call-for-more-discipline-by-candidates/#comments Fri, 16 Mar 2012 03:13:39 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=4383 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/15/presidential-speechwriters-call-for-more-discipline-by-candidates/feed/ 3 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/15/cicero-speechwriting-award-winner-choosing-the-gun-general-peter-van-uhm/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/15/cicero-speechwriting-award-winner-choosing-the-gun-general-peter-van-uhm/#comments Fri, 16 Mar 2012 01:57:17 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=4379 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/15/cicero-speechwriting-award-winner-choosing-the-gun-general-peter-van-uhm/feed/ 1 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/12/the-2012-ragan-speechwriters-conference/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/12/the-2012-ragan-speechwriters-conference/#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:07:49 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=4361 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/12/the-2012-ragan-speechwriters-conference/feed/ 2 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/07/interview-rod-dunican-wikipedia-expert/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/07/interview-rod-dunican-wikipedia-expert/#comments Wed, 07 Mar 2012 21:15:41 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=4338 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/07/interview-rod-dunican-wikipedia-expert/feed/ 2 0:04:20 Rod Dunican is an accomplished senior manager and trainer, whose entire career has been centered on delivering exceptional results with a positive, “can do” attitude. With more than 25 years of experience, Rod shares his thirst for learning, managin[...] Rod Dunican is an accomplished senior manager and trainer, whose entire career has been centered on delivering exceptional results with a positive, “can do” attitude. With more than 25 years of experience, Rod shares his thirst for learning, managing and personal growth to help individuals and organizations thrive. Professionally, he has served in the roles of Director of Project Management, Director of Operations and Chief Operating Officer. In 2003, he began Rod Ventures, an organizational learning and development company specializing in management consulting, training and project management. He recently led a team to complete a successful, two-year $1.25 million project for Wikimedia—the non-profit that guides and runs Wikipedia. Having provided training for start-ups, non-profits and Fortune 500 companies such as Chevron, Gap, Cisco and Wikimedia, Rod continues to be fascinated by existing and emerging organizational cultures and their affects on the people within those cultures. Since experience has taught Rod that business is always personal, he often uses the workplace as a starting point to coach individuals. As a speaker and trainer in the U.S. as well as internationally, he has engaged audiences in conferences, universities, and corporate settings. His low-key, fun approach to the insanity of work, life and parenting has led to seminars that include: “We Need to Talk: The Perils and Challenges of Speaking in Public”, “Presentations Skills for Introverts” , “Relationships, One Man’s Perspective” and more. Pro-Track Profile I caught up with Rod at a National Speakers Association (NSA) Northern California Pro-Track class and asked him about his work training academics and others on behalf of Wikimedia. We wondered if there was a Wikiepdia entry for the NSA. There is, although members could probably contribute more content to make it a richer resource. Finally, Rod shared what attracted him to enroll in Pro-Track. To hear what Rod told me, click on the podcast icon below. Podcasts Ian Griffin no no http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/02/guest-posting-three-ways-to-find-a-voice-coach-by-sarah-stockton/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/02/guest-posting-three-ways-to-find-a-voice-coach-by-sarah-stockton/#comments Fri, 02 Mar 2012 19:36:40 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=4345 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/03/02/guest-posting-three-ways-to-find-a-voice-coach-by-sarah-stockton/feed/ 2 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/02/13/people-make-a-difference-danny-brassell-interview/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/02/13/people-make-a-difference-danny-brassell-interview/#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:07:22 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=4332 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/02/13/people-make-a-difference-danny-brassell-interview/feed/ 0 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/02/03/interview-timothy-tosta-transformative-listener/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/02/03/interview-timothy-tosta-transformative-listener/#comments Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:30:55 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=4325 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/02/03/interview-timothy-tosta-transformative-listener/feed/ 0 0:06:36 Timothy Tosta is a cancer survivor, a seasoned hospice volunteer and a widely acclaimed speaker and lecturer. He is the author of two books and a featured columnist of the Daily Journal, California’s leading daily legal newspaper. Tim is an ex[...] Timothy Tosta is a cancer survivor, a seasoned hospice volunteer and a widely acclaimed speaker and lecturer. He is the author of two books and a featured columnist of the Daily Journal, California’s leading daily legal newspaper. Tim is an executive coach to legal and business communities. He also is recognized as one of California’s leading land-use and environmental attorneys. Tim has spoken at annual meetings, conferences and conventions of, among others, the American Bar Association, American Institute of Architects, American Planning Association, California State Bar Real Estate Section, California State Bar Trusts and Estates Section, National Association of Real Estate Editors, Practicing Law Institute, California Association of Appellate Lawyers, Urban Land Institute, California City Managers Foundation, Association of Corporate Counsel, and California Coalition for Compassionate Care. In addition to the topics of planning, development, sustainability and the environment, related to his legal career, Tim is a frequent speaker to legal and business gatherings on topics of human potential, fulfilled living, and conscious dying. Transformative Listening Tim’s currently most requested talk is Transformative Listening, in which he describes how one of the most fundamental human competencies in establishing and maintaining relationships – listening – has become a lost art. Tim shares what he has learned about listening from his experiences as a 37 year veteran of law practice, a 20 year cancer survivor, a parent and husband and an eight year hospice volunteer. Tim demonstrates how to build listening skills that allow you to break through communication barriers that separate you from authentic relationships and fulfilled living. Author and Blogger Tim is the author of #DEATH tweet, Book 01 – A Well Lived Life through 140 Perspectives on Death and Its Teachings and #DEATH tweet, Book 02 – 140 Perspectives on Being a Supportive Witness to the End of Life. He currently is writing his third book, with his wife Nancy, #DOG tweet – 140 Perspectives on What Our Dogs Teach Us About Being Human. In addition to his monthly columns for the Daily Journal, Tim also blogs on life and death issues at Coaching Counsel. Pro-Track Profile I had a chance to talk with Tim at a recent Pro-Track 2012 class. I asked him about his background as a native of the Bay Area, his legal career and life since he was diagnosed with cancer 20 years ago. He told me about his work with the dying in hospices and what career professionals can learn from this. To hear what he told me, click on the podcast icon below. Ian Griffin no no http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/01/30/urban-life-in-modern-china-rush-rush-to-crush-crush/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/01/30/urban-life-in-modern-china-rush-rush-to-crush-crush/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:33:31 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=4308 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/01/30/urban-life-in-modern-china-rush-rush-to-crush-crush/feed/ 1 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/01/27/relevant-resources-books-to-kick-off-2012/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/01/27/relevant-resources-books-to-kick-off-2012/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:16:12 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=4146 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2012/01/27/relevant-resources-books-to-kick-off-2012/feed/ 1