Why Women Face Different Standards on Zoom and What to do About It
From George Bradley, writing in PRNews… Research from The Harris Poll shows 39 percent of women, but just 25 percent of men, turn off video during Zoom calls. That’s a fairly significant difference. In addition, when they turn on video, women are more likely than men to prepare (do their hair, change clothes or clean visible workspaces). […]
I Can’t Go On – What’s Behind Stage Fright
By Joan Acocella, writing in The New Yorker… Sara Solovitch, in “Playing Scared: A History and Memoir of Stage Fright” (Bloomsbury), says that while she was a good pianist as a child, she fell apart—sweating, trembling—when she had to play for an audience. She got through the Eastman School of Music’s preparatory program. Then she […]
How the 10-Second Rule Can Dramatically Change Your Conversations and Make You a Better Leader
By Jason Aten, writing for Inc… Communicating is easily the single most important job of leaders. If leadership is mostly about influence–and it is–then the ability to communicate a vision and motivate people to move toward that vision is the single most important characteristic a leader can have. The problem is, communication is hard. Sometimes […]
Express Your Best Self: Go for Connection, Not Perfection
From Stephanie Scotti, writing for SmartBrief… When you are about to step up to deliver a presentation, you may feel like the audience is an adversary. If so, you may be surprised to learn that, with rare exceptions, your audience is really cheering for you; they want you to succeed. Whether listening by choice or […]
7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Crisis Communications Firm
By Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications This article first appeared in the National Law Journal Crisis communications is a sub-specialty of the public relations profession that is designed to protect and defend an individual, company, or organization facing a public challenge to its reputation. Crisis communications is aimed at raising awareness of a specific type of threat, the magnitude, […]
Five Ways to Network at a Barbecue and Not Get Burned
By Mike O’Horo, writing for Attorney at Work… As invitations begin to roll in for social events this post-pandemic summer, here’s a refresher from “coach” Mike O’Horo on how to handle yourself when you meet someone for the first time — or after a long time. As summer approaches, social schedules ramp up with graduation parties, barbecues, golf outings, […]
7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Crisis Communications Firm
By Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications Crisis communications is a sub-specialty of the public relations profession that is designed to protect and defend an individual, company, or organization facing a public challenge to its reputation. Crisis communications is aimed at raising awareness of a specific type of threat, the magnitude, outcomes, and specific behaviors to adopt to reduce the threat. […]
Sports Writers Could Ditch the ‘Clown Questions’ and Do Better When it Comes to Press Conferences
Nicole Kraft, professor of sports journalism at The Ohio State University, writing for The Conversation… LeBron James had enough. During the press conference after Game 1 of the 2018 NBA finals, James was questioned repeatedly by ESPN’s Mark Schwartz about the mental state of teammate J.R. Smith, whose final-seconds rebounding blunder contributed to a Cleveland Cavaliers overtime loss. […]
This is What You Say When You Talk with Your Hands
By one of our favorite communications consultants, Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D., writing for CommPro… The body language question I’m asked the most when people are preparing to make a presentation is: “What should I do with my hands?” My answer? “Use them.” Research shows that audiences tend to view people who use a greater variety […]
Attention: School Board Presidents, Superintendents & Education Attorneys
We are pleased to announce that Hennes Communications is now providing crisis management and crisis communications services to the Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA), giving their members access to our team 24/7/365. Those services include pre-crisis planning, 24/7 crisis response, crisis/media training, litigation communications support, communications audits and tabletop drills. As has already been announced, […]