The problem with information nowadays is not that there is no, or insufficient, information. There is plenty of it. More than any person has ever experienced in the lived experience of a human being. No, the problem now is being able to figure out which information is worth paying attention to and which is best… Continue reading The problem with information nowadays
How to communicate well
I have been doing a short course over the last few weeks by Conor Neill on Udemy. It is about communication, and it has given me some tremendously valuable insights into communication. Before I share some of what I learned I have to say that I am an evangelical fundamentalist when it comes to communication… Continue reading How to communicate well
Active listening for effective communication
Managing and communicating well is greatly dependent on listening. Not just ordinary, everyday listening but intentional, active listening. It turns out that when we are listening there is an 8 second buffer at work. In other words, we can be watching tv or doing something and someone can be speaking to you. You may not… Continue reading Active listening for effective communication
Dáil committees blow their Perry Mason moment
And so, we have had the spectacle of the Dáil committees questioning Tubridy, Kelly, and RTE management over the last couple of weeks. Members of these committees had their Perry Mason and Rumpole of the Bailey opportunities and cast them aside like mob bosses at a strip club. Playing to the gallery-that is, their parish,… Continue reading Dáil committees blow their Perry Mason moment
Managing and communication-the stunning power of asking questions
The person asking the questions is in control in a relationship. Asking questions is far more effective than making declarative statements. Good questions are closely connected to listening. When you see what the other person is looking at, what facts and circumstances they believe, then you can understand them. Nobody says or does something stupid… Continue reading Managing and communication-the stunning power of asking questions
Setting boundaries and disappointing people
I am a great believer in the value of being able to say “no”. To set boundaries and decide, with intention and thought, what I am going to do, what work I will take on, when I will do the work, the degree of discomfort and pressure I am willing to bear, and when and… Continue reading Setting boundaries and disappointing people
An underrated and overlooked skill
One of the most valuable, overlooked skills to acquire nowadays, if you want to promote your business or brand online, is that of video editing. If you acquire basic editing skills in a program like iMovie you will be able to maximize the value of the video you do create. iMovie is provided free with… Continue reading An underrated and overlooked skill
Going to Croke Park again
I was in Croke Park again yesterday for the first time in years. Most of my summers as a young man were spent going to Croke Park and I was lucky enough to play there for Kildare minors in the Leinster championship in 1980 when we lost in the final. Many years after that involved… Continue reading Going to Croke Park again
What did Marty Morrissey do wrong?
My first reaction when I heard the Marty Morrissey “controversy” broke was “say it ain’t so, Joe”. My second reaction was one of puzzlement about the alleged wrong of which Mary Morrissey is accused, and which has prompted howls of outrage from many quarters in Irish society. According to Morrissey he did 7 unpaid gigs… Continue reading What did Marty Morrissey do wrong?
5 steps to a logos based persuasive speech
We know that Aristotle wrote the seminal work on the art of persuasion when he wrote “Rhetoric”. We know, too, that he identified three fundamentals in persuading: How do you make a logos based persuasive speech? Persuasive speech, remember, is the basis of excellent communication.