Disclaimer - you can probably guess which side of the fence I’m on with that one… but read on. Have you ever shared a career challenge like this with AI?

Dear ChatGPT, it’s me again…I’ve had a heck of a week and, yes, I know it’s only Wednesday. Can you help?  I'm struggling with three deadlines that are getting increasingly close and one of those involves that presentation to a client who I think I’ve mentioned to you before, you know the one that always looks at me like I’m a bit slow.

I’ve a presentation to deliver tomorrow afternoon to senior management that I haven’t even started to look at yet but it’s hey, only 5 minutes…. so I can probably just wing it, can’t I?

You pole vault to get to the end of a packed aisle in the supermarket. Surrounded by families, rubber rings and Pina Coladas at the resort pool in Tenerife, you execute a dive Tom Daley would be proud of. On the dance floor at a family summer wedding you throw in some Simone Biles moves.

The Olympics were brilliant. Are you like me and a part of you is still grieving for the sheer excitement and those “wow, did that just happen” moments? It was amazing, wasn’t it?

But much as I loved it all, some of the sports have limited advantage in everyday life. What if there were sports that did have a huge advantage? What would the "Communication Olympics" look like?

They smile. Laugh. Scrunch up their eyes a bit as they think. "Wow. That was fun, Mica!” This is the answer. But what’s the question? The question is “What’s it like to work with me?”

One of the ways I work with clients is through doing a series of communication skills exercises. They’re short and snappy. And – the important bit – they get results.

My clients get promoted. They take on new, big pieces of work that would have scared them before. Their words are more fluent, natural, and calm in those important meetings. So, what exactly happens in a coaching session when we do these communication skills exercises?

How would you rate your influencing skills? And how good are you at influencing the influencers?

When you know how to do that well your career picks up pace. Meetings get more productive. Communication is easier. You start getting noticed for all of the right reasons.

In my 1 hour bitsesize workshop “Influencing the Influencers” I help you explore the different needs of your stakeholders.

It’s that time of year again. Communication skills are in the spotlight, entire evenings of public speaking, and winners connecting with their audience.

It’s award season, with a number of glitzy, glamorous TV and film ceremonies toasting the great and the good, applauding and awarding performance.

But what 24 things does award season and the annual performance review have in common?

Can you give me some tips advice on overcoming common communication challenges that people have?

This was asked to me by a client recently and it's a big question, isn't it? Especially in a world that involves more and more hybrid working.

I paused and then I asked them if they’d ever been to Iceland.

It’s that time of year again when Christmas presents get gingerly peeled open, assaulted with total abandon or unwrapped with business-like efficiency.

How people unwrap their gifts, unwraps their preferred learning style.

Which style are you? And if you’re creating and delivering learning, whether it’s on top leadership skills or improving communication skills, what can you do to cater for these learning styles and meet your learners' needs? Try this approach to understand your learners’ personas and needs.

Picture the scene.You’re in a meeting and you’ve been waiting for your turn to speak. You know it’s all about good communication skills and that your public speaking is what can make or break you.

And there are people in this meeting that you want impress. And then it happens.

It’s your turn. And all eyes are on you. And you babble.

Developing strong writing skills saves you time in the workplace and makes your audience happy. And a clear writer is often the sign of a clear thinker. Here’s one place you can read brilliant writing and one exercise that you can do to develop your writing muscle…

Big things in a small space. Mining meaning out of millions of minutes. A lifetime on a page. 

There’s a place where you can see brilliant writing. Often it’ll be about someone you never knew. And now sadly never will.

I recently replaced a relic of an old phone. And spoke with someone who’s customer care and communication skills were off the charts. But it was one thing that he did which really impressed me.

And it’s a skill that goes a long way in developing rapport and trust with others. And we all love it when someone uses this skill with us.

Here’s what he did.

I played a lot of badminton as a kid at school, regional and national level. And there’s one golden rule my coaches drilled in to me that improved my game and can improve your relationships with stakeholders.

You’ll stand out as a better listener and someone who has focus and attention.

Here’s how…

Communication skills coaching has a lot to do with gardening. Are you after a brilliant pot plant, a section of your garden looking stunning or do you want the whole package: landscaping the lot, to create a wow factor among your colleagues and the leadership?

What I am talking about? Well, it all started when I went to the garden centre at the weekend. And it swallowed me whole.

It’s where, in addition to 15 other indoor and outdoor plants,  I picked up Chamaedorea Elegans, which sounds like a posh sexually transmitted disease but isn’t.

Woman reassesses life during a road trip around Iceland in November with best friend’s deaf son. What happens when you find out your boyfriend’s not a regular bloke but a superhero. Oscar winning Anglo-French actress disappears from the glare of celebrity and escapes to the countryside.

These are the last three books I’ve read and this is what they've reminded me about how to balance our energy.

Meaning I get more balance into my week and avoid the crash and burn.

When we’re vulnerable and open up, it increases our ability to connect with people. It develops trust. And strengthens relationships.

And yet it can be safer to be neutral and not attract too much attention to ourselves.

Here’s what a tin of white paint and a recent networking event taught me about opening up to others.