There's a famous scene in the first season of the West Wing. Things haven't been going well for President Bartlett and his administration, mainly because he is too cautious to really fight for what he believes. Finally exasparated, he makes the decision to forget about the politics of reelection and speak up for what he believes. His chief of staff relieved that the President has finally decided to stop holding back, writes down an edict to every member of the White House staff that reads:...
28 days ago • 1 min read
Sometimes it really is just about looking the part! Communicator of the Week Award goes to the Carters (Jay-Z, Beyonce, Blue Ivy) for their stunning look at the Met Gala event this week. Of course, communication is primarily about what you say and how you say it, but that doesn't mean that how you look is irrelevant. I recommend to all my clients to have a go to look for their speeches and presentations. Think of it like armour that makes you feel like you are in control. And The Carters...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
There is a line in the brilliant musical, Hamilton, where the character King George (who steals the show in every scene he is in) says to the Founding Fathers of the newly independent America..."What comes next? You've been freed. Do you know how hard it is to lead?C ommunicator of the Week Award goes to King Charles for his marvellous speech to the US Congress, in which he deftly reminded the Americans of the principles that the country is supposed to stand for, but which it seems to have...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
If you’re going to quote something, get it right! Miscommunicator of the Week Award goes to Russell Brand and US Secretary of Defence, who both thought it would be a good idea to quote from the Bible and support of the points they wanted to make. In Brand’s case, it was an interview with Piers Morgan about his trial for sexual assault & rape, and he decided to quote from a passage the book of Isaiah… only he forgot the quote and couldn’t find it even with the bible in hand. It was, as they...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
A double-header this week. As the Artemis II orbited the earth, the crew held a press conference, at the end of which the pilot, Victor Glover was asked for his thoughts from space on Easter Sunday. His first words in response were that he did not have anything prepared, which, if you've heard me talk about the importance of your speech opening, you will know is a terrible way to start. But then he delivered the most eloquent short speech about the beautiful oasis in the universe that is...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Sometimes you just have to get in people’s faces to get them to take action. Communicator of the Week Award goes to coach Brenda Frese, who was video in a now viral clip as she literally shouted in the face of an underperforming player on her basketball team. ’I need you to lock in’ she bellowed. ‘I believe in you.but you’ve got to want it the most’ if you watch it, it is uncomfortable, but the outcome was that the player went on to transform her performance and help the team close the gap...
3 months ago • 1 min read
You know the saying (often attributed to Warren Buffett): it takes years to build a reputation, and 5 minutes to ruin it. This week's MisCommunicator of the Week has proved that adage to be truer than ever. Prior to this week, not many members of the public knew much about John Healey. He was one of the more respected members of the Labour cabinet, quietly getting on with the difficult job of Defence Secretary. In an increasingly dangerous world full of wars, conflicts and terrorism, he...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Sometimes it’s just the effort that counts. Communicator of the Week Award goes to King Charles for his decision to insert a little pidgin English into his speech at the state dinner for President Tinubu of Nigeria. By all accounts, it was a pretty glitzy affair. (My invite must have been lost in the post). King Charles gave the expected flattery, praising the ‘economic powerhouse and cultural force’ that Nigeria represents. Highlighting Afrobeats, Nollywood, Jollof rice, and our football...
3 months ago • 1 min read
I’m being a little mischievous here but hey. Communicator of the Week Award goes to Swedish politician, Mikael Damberg for his description of Sweden as ‘Spursy’. For any non football followers reading this, Tottenham Hotspur’s, the football team commonly known as Spurs, are a large and famous football club that has over the years spent huge amount of money on a new stadium, new players and several mew managers. But despite all this spend and all that promise, they never really succeed. This...
3 months ago • 1 min read