How to Reclaim the 15% of Energy You Lose on Camera as a Moderator
You know how they say people look 15 lbs (7 kg) heavier on camera? Well, the same is true for your energy on camera, but in the opposite way. You will be perceived as having 15% less energy when on camera than when in person. This is due to the physical distance and the two […]
We are Hardwired to Connect With Other Humans
About 200,000 to 800,000 years ago, a massive upgrade in technology occurred. It was a technology upgrade that allowed for individuals to create deeper social connections, retain and exchange knowledge, and cooperate together. Nobody witnessed this upgrade directly, however, because it happened inside the bodies of our ancient ancestors. The change occurred inside the brain, […]
Don’t Break the #1 Rule of Icebreakers
Audible groans rolled across the audience as we begrudgingly stood up from our seats. In a room of 200 people, the speaker had managed to universally turn everyone’s attitude negative by uttering one phrase. This phrase is commonly used, but also commonly despised. What’s the phrase? “Ok, now we are going to do an icebreaker […]
A Magic Trick for Remembering Names – And Why It Matters
After five hours of working with a group of 40 people, I ended my training with a little magic trick. One-by-one, I walked up to each person and said “Thank you for being here…Sandy. Thank you for being here… Seth. Thank you for being here… Randi.” I kept going around the room until I thanked […]
The Future of Free Hugs During The COVID-19 Pandemic
Anyone who’s been a part of the Swift Kick family over the past 14 years knows that introducing the Free Hugs campaign to new people is a core part of our training. It’s how we teach people to build a Culture of Connection™ where everyone feels welcomed, connected, and engaged. But what about now, in […]
Creating an Engagement Dashboard for Your Organization
For two years, I sat on the board of the NY Entrepreneurs’ Organization as the Head of Member Engagement. At my first board meeting, I asked the group for some prior data on member engagement. My aim was to find a baseline level of engagement which I could use to build goals for the future. […]
After You Make An Introduction, Get Out Of The Way
This post is a continuation of our last post about creating affinity groups through shared interest introductions. Tom talked about how he connected two strangers at an event because they were both wearing Batman shirts for International Batman Day. Read the post here if you need a refresher! After I made the Batman introduction happen, […]
Is Batman in Your Organization?: Creating Affinity Groups
A common practice of mine during my trainings to greet as many of the participants ahead of time. During one training, a guy walked in wearing a unique looking Batman shirt, so I made a comment. His face lit up, and he excitedly said to me, “Did you know that today is International Batman Day?” […]
What’s Going On? -The Question Every “Neutral” Asks
In the previous blog post, I talked about a game my friend Kevin made up called “Scream and Run.” In case you need a recap: “Your challenge is to run as fast as you can towards the rest of the group while screaming. Then run back doing the same.” The group laughed again. “Oh, but […]
The Two Ingredients Required for Successful Engagement
At some point, every facilitator eventually runs out of activities they can do with a group. It’s natural and bound to happen. This exact thing happened to a friend of mine, Kevin Prentiss, who was running a 10-day long summer program for a group of students at Stanford University. After 10-days of facilitating activities and […]