Assertive communication – some people want it, some people fear it, other people overdo it! Life is too short to not speak up and be heard or to be so focussed on exerting control that you damage relationships along the way. It’s important to speak up, but how can we...
In Part 1 of this two-part series, we gave ChatGPT a chance to write one of our blogs. How did it get on? The task for ChatGPT: Write me a blog on 'How to Overcome Nerves when Speaking in Public' Grade: ChatGPT recently passed its MBA exam at the Wharton School,...
At MSB Executive we love writing our blogs. An interesting topic comes up in the office, and someone dashes off to write a blog to share with the the world. But very occasionally this doesn't happen. Sometimes we are all simply too busy running workshops or coaching...
Here at MSB Executive, we’re big fans of BBC TV’s Dragon’s Den. Usually we find ourselves looking at the pitchers’ performance, but in one recent episode it was the product being pitched that grabbed our attention. The View-You Cam Pitchers Dan Baker and Jonathan...
Smart BrevityJim VandeHei, Mike Allen and Roy SchwartzLondon: Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 2023. Overview The premise of Smart Brevity is that business writing has failed to move with the times. In the smartphone age, anyone can easily and freely send their every...
Unlike in real life, the person on the other end of a Zoom or Teams call is stuck with whatever view of ourselves we offer them. Therefore, it pays to think like a movie director, who ‘sets up the shot’ to create the correct relationship between the character on...
Unlike in real life, the person on the other end of a Zoom or Teams call is stuck with whatever view of ourselves we offer them. Therefore, it pays to think like a movie director, who ‘sets up the shot’ to create the correct relationship between the character on...
Our partners at the CFA recently asked us to deliver a webinar for their members providing online presentation tips. Drawing on our professional background, we dipped into the movie director’s toolkit. What can Hollywood teach us about communicating effectively on...
At MSB Executive, posture work is a regular feature of our sessions. We help our clients to express confidence and authority by adjusting how they sit and stand. Our experience in the acting profession has also taught us that our physicality generates inward feedback....
There’s nothing more off-putting when you’re presenting than the feeling of heat spreading across your neck and cheeks and then the ensuing paranoia. We’ve brought together our favourite concepts around blushing, plus tips on how to manage it, seeing as it’s such a...
Teaching people how to breathe might strike you as teaching grandmother to suck eggs. But there are different ways of breathing, and some are better than others. By looking first at the habits and consequences of bad breathing, we can make sure we are doing the...
To Speak Well, First Breathe Well Talking: most of us spend many waking hours (and even some sleeping hours!) pouring torrents of language out of our mouths. Have you ever stopped to wonder how your body manages this amazing feat? Unless you have some vocal training –...
