Have you ever been pushed to the edge of your skills when it really counted? I sure have, and the last time wasn’t too long ago. I hesitated to share this story, but then I realized that learning in the trenches is what makes us better public engagement facilitators. Not only is it unavoidable, but it’s also necessary. So, I’m throwing caution to the wind and sharing my “disaster” with you in my latest blog post. I hope you’ll read and then share an example of being pushed to your edge. Let’s all learn together!

Having an audience is a privilege. There are some common myths about making presentations that are very easy to fall into and that don’t serve your listeners well. Dip into my latest blog post and tell me if you have a myth or two to add to my list.

Debate, chatting, discussion–there are many different ways to communicate and they all have their place. Find out how dialogue fits into your communication mix.

Sometimes listening too much can make you question your beliefs and values. You’ve spent years developing a certain mindset. Does it make sense to turn that all around? You obviously have good reasons for feeling and believing what you do. I know I’m right about most things at this point in life. I don’t need the existential angst that comes with changing my mind. The best tactic in this scenario is to plan your rebuttal while the other person is talking. Wasting mental energy listening takes time from thinking of the next thing you want to say.

For how long are you comfortable with silence in a conversation? Bet it’s a lot shorter than you think. In my latest blog post I discuss the reasons silence is valuable in our lives and why public engagement professionals should cultivate it.

There’s an appealing logic to the belief that if we could just stick to the facts, discussions would be straightforward. The truth is that we humans aren’t wired that way. We project our values and feelings onto the facts that confront us to make meaning and understand the world around us.