My name is Lauren Sergy, and I’m happy to welcome you to Up Front Communication: the place to go to improve yourself and your business through the art of communication. Have a look around the site and read a few blog entries to learn more about how I can help you become a better speaker and communicator.
Valuable lesson: How to make stress your friend
In my talks on communication and public speaking, I commonly address the flight-or-fight response that difficult speaking situations trigger. While I do train people on how to physically manage their distress symptoms (such as shallow breathing, elevated blood pressure, and the like), the way you perceive the stress response matters hugely. As McGonigal points out, if you view your body’s stress response as one of positive, preparatory excitement instead of negative, performance-shattering fear, you can learn how to use stress to your advantage. You achieve this view through practice, observation, and mindfulness. So watch the video, learn, and apply!
Wisdom from Stella Adler
Stella Adler was speaking about actors. Her words apply to you, too. Actor, speaker, dancer, activist, employee, manager, whatever you are – this is the key to stepping up and letting your voice ring out with power and sincerity.
Argument, flawlessly presented
There are few feats of intelligence as beautiful as a well-composed bit of rhetoric. Today’s bit of Friday silliness gives such a demonstration, definitively settling an age-old debate. Enjoy!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyXJ1sAQtaY&w=560&h=315]
Do you have Smartphone tunnel vision?
Oh, smartphones. I have a very, very conflicted relationship with the damn things. On one hand, I recognize their usefulness for the busy professional. If your office is effectively your vehicle – and I know many people for who this holds true – then they can be a godsend. On the other hand, they do nothing to improve productivity for the majority of people, are generally used as convenient devices for obsessive checking of email/social networks/online game apps, and they’ve made people twitchy and compulsively responsive to their every chirp, buzz, or ring. I’m sure many of you have been to meetings where high-level executives spent more time checking their smartphone than actually attending to the agenda or discussion at hand.
For your end-of-the-week-ha-ha, I present to you an old Rick Mercer Report video (I’ve been referring to him a lot lately, no?) highlighting the dangers of our smartphone obsession. It is still freakishly relevant!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bV7pM_HS70&w=420&h=315]