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How to be a better public speaker by paying attention to critical variables that can help you
If you want to be better at anything, pay attention to the critical variables. That’s the most brilliant insight from Tim Gallwey’s Inner Game work…
An improvisation activity for speakers and story-tellers: ‘Fish, Cable, Catapult’
I’m often asked, ‘What makes a good activity in applied improvisation?’. Well, more truthfully I was once asked this once in an interview.
Here’s what I said…
Three ways to make conferences less boring
Have you ever felt deflated by attending a conference where there’s presentation after presentation – and you seem to get nothing from it?
Transports of Delight
My colleague was inspired to invent a new introductory game for our London improvisation group session the other night. She saw a new electric scooter hire service and fancied giving it a try. So, at the beginning of the workshop, she asked everyone to describe to a partner how they had got to the session that evening and what way they would have liked to have arrived.
Lubricate your presentations with collaborative humour
Lubricate your presentations with collaborative humour When people don’t laugh at my jokes – and by people in this context I mostly mean my children – I don’t get offended. I remind myself that I was a comedy professional. Yes, the BBC employed me for five years, and...
My Powerpoint’s not working – quelle surprise!
My Powerpoint's not working - quelle surprise! In many organisations, there are excellent people who give ordinary presentations. That is a terrible waste of potential. Often they are doing silly things that can easily be fixed. For example, at a recent conference, I...
How many words does a picture prompt?
How many words does a picture prompt? I've seen this technique used recently a few times to stimulate participants' thinking on the topic of the day. The facilitator shows an interesting picture - on a screen - and asks the audience to express their thoughts on what...
How to avoid boring your audience with dull, dull process changes?
How to avoid boring your audience with dull, dull process changes? You have a short slot in a conference session, let’s say 10-20 minutes, to introduce an important new process in your organisation. Everyone needs to know about it, and that’s why you’ve been allocated...
Playing with time when facilitating a session
Playing with time when facilitating a session When facilitating a session, time is often the dimension that gets away from us and is the undoing of an otherwise wonderful event. You are facilitating a session It’s an important topic - that’s why it’s on the agenda and...
How do you get groups out of their comfort zone without resistance?
How do you get groups out of their comfort zone without resistance? "I have a presentation coming up for a large group of 270. I am invited to take them out of their comfort zone", a colleague told me recently. This was a corporate audience, with 50 minutes for a...
Waking up your passive audience
Waking up your passive audience It's good to give your audience more than a passive role during your presentation. These days, millennials have short attention... what was I saying? Even if you are going to talk to an audience non-stop, you can allow them to signal...
The easy way to interact with your audience
The easy way to interact with your audience 'So you want to create interaction with the audience?' The presenter looks mildly appalled. 'No, not really, but I’m told it’s a good idea. It's an unwelcome thought for me, but apparently a benefit for my audience and thus...
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