We’re all frantically getting ready for the holidays, so I’ll keep this one short and sweet. Last week we had a bit of fun with the verbification of nouns. A great example is in the use of “gifting” amongst tax professionals. The word actually occurs in the Income Tax Act (http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/I-3.3/page-26.html#docCont) — see s. 35(a)…
Most of us make New Year’s Resolutions, and most of us fail at them. This generally happens because they are too ambitious, too general, and made without accountability. But what if each of us made one simple resolution, in the following format? “In 2018 I resolve to communicate better with AB by doing XY.” AB…
What???!!! How can Mr. Covfefe even qualify? Isn’t he the worst thing that has happened to the English Language since 1066? Well, yes and no. (How did you guess I used to be a lawyer?) Donald Trump is many things. As a practitioner of good English, he’s an utter disaster. But as a shuck-and-jive artist…
This is a communication piece, not a political piece. But political campaigns are all about communication. Unfortunately, Hillary’s lessons are mostly “what not to do”. Most people believe Hillary Clinton to be an intelligent and decent human being who would have been a better president than the incumbent. But the Donald won and Hillary lost….
In the business and professional world, you shouldn’t send a letter or e-mail unless you intend some result. If you send out a missive and don’t achieve the result, you’ve not only wasted your time but you have now told the recipient that it’s OK to ignore you. So much for relevance! It goes without…
Nowadays, most of us get our daily news online or by social media. But not that long ago, the Six O’Clock News was a highlight of our day, often coinciding with the family meal. There was a certain ritual to these things: First, the headlines. Next, the details. Finally, the summary. This format is particularly…
In a recent study (http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-33380669) it was demonstrated that mice who were exposed to L-Felinine as babies were significantly less likely to flee from cats when they became adults, making them much more likely to end up on the feline dinner table. In simple terms, little mice exposed to cat pee would grow up with…
OK, this one is definitely on the “Dear Abby” side of the communication spectrum. But given that the situation discussed here tends to sneak up without warning, it’s a good idea to have a contingency plan. Smart communicators are prepared. Here’s the typical scenario: you’re on your merry way when you suddenly slam into something…
This is also the secret to getting a report finished, or completing the memo you’ve been working on for the last month. It’s also the secret to getting physically fit, losing weight and learning a new language. The secret has two deceptively simple components, of which the first is this: just get started. Quit dawdling…
Many years ago a client taught me a valuable communication lesson. It was about managing client anxiety and expectations. His was a complex case, made worse by the exasperating and outrageous behaviour not only of the other party but of the other lawyer. They both broke all the rules, all the time. What should have…