Rob Biesenbach 
“Don’t hire anyone you wouldn’t want to run into in the hallway at three in the morning.” – Tina Fey, Bossypants This has always been my approach when interviewing people for a job. Not that my kind of work would have me roaming office hallways at 3 in the morning. (Much. I think I did … Read more
Every time I help a client create a video, it seems someone during the planning stage brings up narration: “And here the narrator should talk about …” And I’m thinking, “No, there will be NO narrator!” But I don’t usually bring it up at that point because for some people it’s too difficult to imagine … Read more
Right now I’m reading Cleopatra: A Life, which is excellent so far. In it I found this pearl of wisdom handed down from Cicero: “As reason is the glory of man, so the lamp of reason is eloquence.” No offense to Cicero — he was clearly no slouch — but that is obviously the traditional view … Read more
I’ve now been on both ends of the webinar experience. I’ve attended my share of good and bad ones. The worst was when the moderators didn’t have master control over the microphone, so we were treated to people’s keyboard clicks, phone calls and, most embarrassingly, one group on speakerphone who provided running negative commentary on … Read more
There is an established institution in town that does good business going out to companies and using stage techniques to help them with their issues — management, leadership, creativity, etc. So I was surprised to see an FAQ on their website in which they assure potential clients that, no, don’t worry, we won’t make your … Read more
When I was a kid I visited the LBJ Library & Museum in Austin with my grandfather. One of the stories that stuck with me was that President Johnson had a voracious appetite for news. In fact, he was so driven to stay ahead of everyone else that he had AP and UPI ticker machines … Read more
I did this TV interview on Friday and learned a little something that I should have already known, since it’s something I always preach. People tend to think that their job or their industry is enormously complex and that an outsider could never possibly understand how it works. As a result, businesses often demand extensive, … Read more
It’s human nature. With a big holiday approaching, you want to clean off your desk, clear out your inbox, attend to all those undone to-dos and leave the office with a clean slate and clear conscience. Of course you don’t always think about the poor chumps downstream whose inboxes are now overflowing with your detritus. … Read more
This is not a partisan blog, I swear. But when it comes to lessons in how not to communicate, the current crop of GOP presidential candidates is the gift that keeps on giving. First there was Mitt Romney and his unique comedy stylings. Then Michele Bachmann and her little grammar problem. And now we have … Read more
I’ve never been a fan of small talk. As the name suggests, it’s decidedly unambitious. Now I don’t need to always be engaging in deep-meaning philosophy, but I do like something a little more meaningful than, “How about that weather?” Of course, small talk isn’t really about the talk itself. It’s really an attempt to … Read more