Episodes

Every executive or leader I’ve encountered all think that they are clear. Nobody thinks to themselves, “wow, was I so confusing in that last conversation!” What seems perfectly logical and reasonable in your head, often sounds confusing when it’s said aloud. This week, I share four distinct possibilities that might contribute to your tendency to baffle people with your brilliance. The post Ep. 334 – Why Don’t You Make Any Sense? (When You Think You Do) appeared first on Just Saying.

Imagine the odd feeling of standing in silence on a long elevator ride filled with a mix of friends and strangers. Enduring silence can be a momentary reality in conversations, interviews, meetings and presentations. It can feel uncomfortable, strange and even embarrassing. Rather than look at it as cringeworthy, we need to manage and even embrace saying nothing, and not fill unwanted dead space with fluff. The post Ep. 333 – How to Survive an Awkward Silence appeared first on Just Saying.

You expect a leader to talk like one. However, in a variety of moments professionals talk like amateurs. They speak over and for their subordinates, dilute their own words, and pull punches with weak, apologetic language. In this episode, I share three simple practices that can make you sound like you really run the place. The post Ep. 332 – Three Ways to Communicate Like a Boss appeared first on Just Saying.

Like a picture hanging on a wall, any message must periodically be adjusted, cleaned, and even rehung entirely. Communication can easily get tired, out-of-date, and unattractive. Our opportunity is to first notice this is the case, then to step in and reframe the message that is deliberately organized, undeniably appealing and clearly explained. The post Ep. 331 – Reframing a Message to Regain Focus appeared first on Just Saying.

If something doesn’t matter, why do we keep talking about it? As you sit in enough meetings and conversations, you can easily conclude that people spend a lot of time mindlessly doing this. It not only wastes tons of time, but also induces professionals to feel helpless, unfocused, and fruitless at work. In this episode, I challenge you to define what really matters and start saying no to all the things that don’t. The post Ep. 330 – It Doesn’t Matter appeared first on Just Saying.

Recent research indicates that spending time online, especially on social media, fundamentally changes our perception of time. If asked how much time do you think you actually spend online each day, would your answer be accurate? In this episode, I challenge you to rethink the time you allocate online (versus what you get in return), while not arguing to turn it off completely. https://www.wsj.com/articles/our-sense-of-time-is-way-offespecially-time-we-spend-on-the-internet-11673652432 https://...

Great leaders learn to earn people’s attention. Others fall far short by assuming they have it and treat people like a captive audience. I recall two different leaders and explain how one bombed –and didn’t know it the entire time – while another shined – and didn’t bask too long in the bright lights. The post Ep. 327 – Can you command attention? appeared first on Just Saying.

After seeing an interview with comedian John Mulaney, I became even more convinced of the close connection between clear communication and stand-up comedy. During the interview, he shares a painful experience that turned into a defining moment. In this episode, I break down his insightful answer and will help you embrace what he discovered to be the most valuable thing. The post Ep. 326 – Clarity and Comedy are Related appeared first on Just Saying.

Every professional will face challenging circumstances, tasks, and decisions. With all our busy schedules, however, many of us will not set aside enough time alone to reflect on them, accept them and address them. We all need to embrace quiet time to create a mindset to embrace what is objectively tough (versus ignoring or running away from it) then talking about it and doing it. The post Ep. 325 – Doing what’s difficult appeared first on Just Saying.

Are we taking advantage of the known pockets of downtime in our day or week to plan for quiet time alone? After a recent conversation with a former client and friend, I realized that his suggestion to take Friday off could be a potential way to wind down from others without taking the day off. The post Ep. 324 – Taking Fridays off (for quiet) appeared first on Just Saying.

We might be dominating conversations and not even notice it. In our daily exchanges, it’s likely that someone is doing all the talking. In this week’s episode, I provide different ways to notice this more, whether it’s you doing it or someone else. The post Ep. 323 – Letting other people speak appeared first on Just Saying.

Most meeting start weak and never gain momentum. It’s up to the designated meeting leader to start every meeting with clarity, organization, conviction, and purpose. As a seasoned meeting facilitator, I will share simple ways to start strong, set the tone and get every participant ready for a meaningful exchange. The post Ep. 322 – The Meeting Kickoff Sets the Tone appeared first on Just Saying.

We choose where we invest our attention, and headlines are powerful tools to get that done. Recently, I inadvertently defaulted to a lame opening and paid the price. In this week’s episode, I will have you consider ways to be more deliberate and decisive when you grab people’s attention by using headlining as a better version of BLUF (bottom line up front). The post Ep. 321 – Good isn’t a headline (nice isn’t either!) appeared first on Just Saying.

One of the most important roles of any successful professional is to lead a program (or project) to completion. Throughout the entire process, from start to finish, many different stakeholders need to hear a clean overview that conveys the right level of detail and connects with their motivations and interests. Getting the executive summary wrong at any time might mean losing support, funding, clarity, and confidence. The post Call Back Episode – Ep 254 – How to frame a solid program overview a...

In moments of inspiration, frustration, or even desperation, we need to deliberately choose our communication outlets. Getting that wrong might create conflict, build burdens, and produce unintended consequences. In this episode, I discuss how to be much more intentional when assembling and selecting from a list of different people that serve the right role for us at diverse times and circumstances. The post Ep. 320 – Talk to Someone Else appeared first on Just Saying.

Deep work drives real value creation. It’s only when we live and work primarily in the shallows that we see our value rapidly decline. In this week’s episode, I talk about how Cal Newport’s timeless book “Deep Work” is a must-read for professionals that want to be valuable and communicate with profound impact – and talk about how a dedicated time and place for quiet is essential to learning to do the hard thing. The post Ep. 319 – Real Value Depreciation in a Distracted World appeared first on ...

Anyone can get off to a great start when writing or saying something, but can they wrap it up on time and on cue. In this episode, I get you to start with the end in mind and work backwards. It turns out that sticking your landing is the last thing you do, but the first thing the judges and audience remember. The post Ep. 318 – Is the end anywhere in sight? appeared first on Just Saying.

In the best presentations, you and the audience don’t notice at all that you’re presenting. Like breathing, it can either be something you pay too much attention to or seems very natural and imperceptible. Don’t hold your breath, but get ready to take in a different, refreshing perspective on quality presentations. The post Ep. 317 – Presenting is like breathing appeared first on Just Saying.

After you write something, it might look good. It might look amazing even. But how does it sound to the reader? Is it stiff, clunky, and off key? Or does it flow? In this week’s episode, I share a perspective to improve your writing by focusing more on how it sounds when you read it aloud or to yourself. The post Ep. 316 – The sound of good writing appeared first on Just Saying.

In this second part, I take a cue from a comedian who shares some surprising insights about why some of his best humor tanked several nights at a comedy club. Even if he thought it was hilarious, his audience couldn’t wait forever and needed him to get to the point quickly and convincingly – and not take any shortcuts. In getting your great idea approved, you need to do most of the heavy lifting (not your audience). The post Ep. 315 – A Tale of Two Ideas (Part 2) appeared first on Just Saying.

It would be naïve to think that the best ideas always win. In reality, many sub-par ideas get approved while the brilliant ones get buried and left behind. In this week’s episode, I gain some opening-line inspiration from Charles Dickens and dive into how to determine if something is actually a great idea and the irony of who gets to say so (whether we think it’s fair or not). The post Ep. 314 – A Tale of Two Ideas (Part 1) appeared first on Just Saying.

As we close out another year (and start a new one), I share three different perspectives to get you ready. First, I highlight a short list of noteworthy personal milestones. Second, I list my top 10 podcast episodes over the past 12 months. And finally, I provide a brief reflection on what’s need to improve your skills as a clear and concise communicator. The post Ep. 313 – Chit-Chat Cheer (and a Happy New Year!) appeared first on Just Saying.

Our 300th episode is not only a milestone but also an opportunity to look forward. Over the past few seasons, I have commented on substantial changes in how we communicate, the volume of information (most of it is noise), and the need for protected professional boundaries. This week, we take a brief pause to celebrate and a moment to highlight how and where we work is undergoing a sea change. https://quietworksthebook.com/ The post Ep. 300 – Taking time to consider the future of work appeared f...

How can you become more realistic and grounded when you communicate and interact with people? Are you setting your sights consistently way too high? Have you become an all-or-nothing person in your expectations? In this episode, I share a powerful way of defining what success looks like minimally to keep you satisfied and on track. The post Ep. 242 – The minimum definition of success appeared first on Just Saying.