Just Saying - The BRIEF Lab Joe McCormack

Flagging is a simple, powerful and predictable technique to get people’s attention and keep it.  Earlier in my career, I learned it from a media trainer and was mesmerized by its immediate impact. In this episode, I not only explain what flagging is but also provide three ways to use it to capture and captivate […]

Every executive or leader I’ve encountered all think that they are clear. Nobody thinks to themselves, “wow, was I so confusing in that last conversation!” What seems perfectly logical and reasonable in your head, often sounds confusing when it’s said aloud. This week, I share four distinct possibilities that might contribute to your tendency to […]

Imagine the odd feeling of standing in silence on a long elevator ride filled with a mix of friends and strangers.  Enduring silence can be a momentary reality in conversations, interviews, meetings and presentations. It can feel uncomfortable, strange and even embarrassing. Rather than look at it as cringeworthy, we need to manage and even […]

You expect a leader to talk like one. However, in a variety of moments professionals talk like amateurs. They speak over and for their subordinates, dilute their own words, and pull punches with weak, apologetic language. In this episode, I share three simple practices that can make you sound like you really run the place.

Like a picture hanging on a wall, any message must periodically be adjusted, cleaned, and even rehung entirely.  Communication can easily get tired, out-of-date, and unattractive. Our opportunity is to first notice this is the case, then to step in and reframe the message that is deliberately organized, undeniably appealing and clearly explained.

If something doesn’t matter, why do we keep talking about it? As you sit in enough meetings and conversations, you can easily conclude that people spend a lot of time mindlessly doing this. It not only wastes tons of time, but also induces professionals to feel helpless, unfocused, and fruitless at work. In this episode, […]