How design thinking can make you a better speaker

How design thinking can make you a better speaker

Design thinking is a framework for innovation. It focuses on the end user and encourages you to empathise and look at problems with fresh eyes. It makes you challenge your assumptions, unleash your creativity and expand your ideas.  The Hasso-Plattner Institute of...
Presenting Your Research

Presenting Your Research

I was asked the other day what I like most about my job. My answer came easily. What I most enjoy about my job is helping smart people explain what it is they do.  I’ve been doing a bit of this lately having facilitated a number workshops for researchers and academics...
Death by PowerPoint 10 Years On

Death by PowerPoint 10 Years On

Ten years ago I delivered ‘Escaping PowerPoint Purgatory’ at the Australian Institute of Training and Development (AITD) conference. I spoke about the research from Prof John Sweller¹ and how putting text up on the screen encourages us to multitask and this, in turn,...
Perfecting the Pitch

Perfecting the Pitch

Earlier this year I attended the Conduit Accel Pitch Demo Day event hosted by the University of Adelaide. I had met many of the entrepreneurs who pitched at this event and I was delighted to see how much they have progressed over the months that I had worked with...
Stand Up Speak Up And Persuade

Stand Up Speak Up And Persuade

Think about your job. How much would you get done if you were passive? Probably not much. What if you were pushy? You might get something done – once. Why? Because pushy kills relationships. People may let you get away with it once and then after that...
Good communicators start at the top

Good communicators start at the top

“I just can’t do it – I can’t explain eight years of research in three minutes!” My heart went out to her, I could see she was struggling. It happened at a workshop I was facilitating for PhD students. I was helping them prepare for the Three Minute Thesis 3MT...