UNCG Speaking Center

By Kmcuny | Supporting speakers in the areas of public, interpersonal, and group communication. On the web at speakingcenter.uncg.edu

Let Your Favorite Podcast Hosts Fix Your Public Speaking Problems

Podcast hosts from NPR, WNYC Studios, and more explain why they let themselves say “like” and “um” as much as they want.You’re a grownup with a job, plenty of good ideas, and expertise. That’s why you find yourself presenting to a roomful of your coworkers, or possibly to an auditorium packed with …

Podcasting

Five Approaches to Help You Defuse Conflict on Your Team

Many managers head in the opposite direction when they encounter conflict in the workplace. That's a mistake, as there are both healthy and unhealthy …

Leadership

The single most powerful question to ask in an interview — and how top candidates answer

· 'Practical hiring' is the technique of testing candidates' self-awareness.· After they present a product or presentation to you, ask them, "What would you do differently?"· Candidates that can answer immediately and thoughtfully are the ones that can identify more efficient processes and strive …

Recruitment

9 ways to ruin your relationship for good

• It's normal for relationships to have some degree of conflict• But psychological research has found behaviors that weaken a partnership over time• Below, find nine of the most common — and what to do insteadEvery romantic relationship goes through ups and downs. Even if you just had a massive fight …

Marriage

5 Ways to Make Yourself Look Polished to Everyone Around You

No amount of knowledge or dedication can help you succeed if you don't address thisThe world is full of dreamers. Look around you and you'll find there are plenty of people who spend a lot of time and money reading business and branding books or signing up to attend intensive retreats and …

Self-improvement

People often stay in abusive relationships because of something called 'trauma bonding' — here are the signs it's happening to you

• People often don't even realise they are in an abusive relationship.• It can be hard for others to understand why someone stays with an abusive partner.• It's often because of something called "trauma bonding," where you become addicted to the hormonal rollercoaster an abuser sends you on.Those who …

Relationships

7 ways to make difficult conversations easy

Someone is screaming in your face at the top of their lungs. Or ranting angrily and you can’t get a word in edgewise. Or maybe they’re sobbing so …

Emotions

The Right Way to Respond to Negative Feedback (It'll Save Your Career)

Don't deny, defend, or dwell on negative feedback -- unless you never want to improve your skills or advance your career.When it comes to giving and receiving negative feedback, most of us would rather have a root canal. In fact, many of us are so uncomfortable with negative feedback that we'd …

Employment

3 Things Leaders With Impressive Communication Skills Always Do

As a leader, your communication skills have the potential to leave a lasting impact on others -- make sure that impact is a positive one.Communication is an essential life skill for anyone and everyone. It's one of the earliest survival skills we learn as growing children. (How else would we have …

Leadership

Why Every Great Presentation Begins With the End

Preparing the perfect speech starts with considering the journey. Make each talk a call to adventure that your audience can't wait to take.A confident speaker steps onto the stage and gives the most persuasive speech you've ever heard. Credible, informative and engaging--the crowd loves it.Where …

Call to Action

Having Work Friends Can Be Tricky, but It’s Worth It

How often have you had the following conversation at work?How are you?Good. You?Fine.It is a script we stick to even if we are dying inside.It’s hard to build real connections with your colleagues if you never get beyond superficial chit-chat. And yet people who have a “best friend at work” are not …

Relationships

An Introduction to Rhetorical Questions

A rhetorical question is a question (such as "How could I be so stupid?") that's asked merely for effect with no answer expected. The answer may be …

Simon & Schuster

A marriage therapist says there are 4 good reasons to leave a relationship — and a really bad one

Breaking up is the worst -- not just because it makes you sad and regretful and all that but because deciding to part ways takes so much mental and …

Relationships

Do the decent thing and send one of these texts instead of ghosting

In the age of ghosting, you have two choices when the spark fizzles out. You can either simply fade away or do the honest, but highly awkward, thing and tell the truth.Finding the words, however, is a little tricky if you're looking to avoid hurt feelings. Well, we've tracked down some …

Relationships

The Personality Traits of Good Negotiators

Although there are hundreds of books about how to negotiate more effectively, the advice they offer is often difficult to apply, for three reasons. First, there are just too many contextual specificities underpinning each negotiation, such that one size does not fit all. Second, the effectiveness …

Personality

This is the one skill that all great leaders have

What separates good leaders from great ones?In a recent Inc. video, author and ethnographer Simon Sinek explains how great leaders keep the learning …

Leadership

The 1 Split-Second Thing You Can Do to Become Remarkably Likable

You can make a lasting impression -- and maybe even get hired -- by doing this 1 simple thing.We don't spend a lot of time talking about it, but it's time we do: likable people succeed!Surely, this is not a guarantee in every situation, whether in business or otherwise. But it is quite undeniable …

Self-improvement

The 1 Body Language Habit That Made Steve Jobs Really Successful

Jobs mesmerized others in the way he communicated, both verbally and non-verbally.Steve Jobs was known to have undeniable charisma and an intense presence. Part of what made him so powerful in the public eye was how he eyed the public -- he was a master of the eye contact. Whether in a board room …

Steve Jobs

7 Body-Language Hacks to Try When Meeting New People

Do you know what a "power pose" is? Time to learn.For some of us, meeting new people is a scary, intimidating necessity. For others, it’s an exciting and enlightening adventure. Either way, you’re going to meet new people in your life, and when you do, it’s in your best interest to make a great …

Body Language

Do These 5 Emotionally Intelligent Things Within 5 Minutes Of Meeting Someone

Being instantly likable isn’t rocket science, but this checklist takes practice to master in the short space of a first impression.What’s the point of networking if not to get other people to like you? Sure, you need new contacts to see you as interesting, competent, professional, and potentially …

Emotional Intelligence

How to Make New Friends Wherever You Go

Authored by Rebecca CrawfordEven if you like traveling alone, or you’re already with a group, that doesn’t exclude the possibility of meeting new …

Networking

A new study reveals the best coping mechanisms for stressed kids and teens

“Chronic stress is bad for adults, but it is particularly troublesome for children, because among many other effects, it can disrupt still-developing white matter in the brain, causing long-term problems with complex thinking and memory skills, attention, learning, and behavior. We found that the …

Anxiety

If You Feel These 6 Things, You May Be Ready To Call It Quits On Your Relationship

It can be a really hard deciding whether or not to end a relationship when you're constantly wondering, “Is my relationship over?” When we love …

These Are The Job Skills Of The Future That Robots Can’t Master

“To beat the bot, you need to be more human.”We may live in a digital world, but soft skills like communication, problem solving, collaboration, and empathy are becoming more valued than technology, says Paul Roehrig, chief strategy officer for Cognizant Digital Business, a business and technology …

Leadership

Not Crazy About Public Speaking? Few of Us Are. Here Are 7 Pointers to Help.

First piece of advice: Start with a story about vulnerability. It makes you relatable and trustworthy in the eyes of your audience.Selling today is all about giving back to your customers, and customers prize transparency. One of the ways I give back to my community -- and strive to be transparent …

Public Speaking

7 things you can do if you think your partner is unhappy

Create a safe environment for them to share."While we can’t ever make our partner feel any one way or another, we can certainly support them if we notice they are feeling unhappy," says relationship coach Tara Caffelle, "as it most surely will be impacting our lives, as well."Here are 7 things you …

Happiness

There are 4 primary communication personalities —and knowing yours can help you improve your relationships

Have you ever taken a DISC communication assessment?More than two million people have taken a DISC assessment to better understand their communication style.In fact, organizations that I work with often request DISC profiles for high-potential employees and high-performance teams to help them …

Personality

Want to Build a High-Performing Team? Science Says Focus on These 3 Things

To build a strong team, define in advance your norms and standards for excellence. Then work to ensure everyone on your team is equipped to meet them.Many leaders believe a team is only as strong as its weakest link. Thus many organizations spend a lot of time working to attract the best talent, …

Management

Forget PowerPoint: 3 Ways to Make Your Presentation More Relatable

PowerPoint is a tool. You--not the slides--carry the message.Ever see this? People presenting at a meeting or pitching to clients will click to a slide, look at the audience, and then turn back to the slide. It's like they're expecting the audience to be dazzled by their insight as they read each …

Public Speaking