When you belong to a group that needs to make a decision or solve a problem, how do you go about that process? Is there one person who dominates the discussion and tends to get their way? Or, are you able to reach consensus and be in agreement regarding the solution or decision? Would it help to have a structured approach to come up with ideas and determine the best course of action? Consider the varied perspectives that one may take in looking at a problem – you could look a

Often, our image of how an event will play out is overly idealistic. Holiday events are a good example of reality not measuring up to expectations. We imagine a picture-perfect Norman Rockwell scene and get something closer to Home Alone chaos instead. Our expectations exceed what our resources of time, energy, patience, and finances can bear. In an attempt to recreate old memories or the feelings of holidays long ago, we may not realize that our memories have deleted the mis

When you are facing a big project or task, are you more inclined to get started right away, or put it off? If you are in the 20% of the population who are considered chronic procrastinators, your answer will be “put it off.” If you are among the remaining 80% of us who occasionally procrastinate, your answer will be “it depends.” Everyone struggles with procrastination at least sometimes and we procrastinate for many reasons. (1) Whatever the reason, when facing a task you ca

As communicators, we won’t be effective if an audience can’t remember our message. Being memorable is essential to successful communication. I recently surveyed food and nutrition professionals about which characteristics of effective communication they needed to work on most. They listed being memorable in a tie for third place with being compelling. Listed in first and second place were being concise and clear. You can read about all 10 characteristics here: https://www.nut

What do you do? Can you answer that question in a clear and concise way? One of the biggest challenges facing anyone in business is communicating what they do and who they do it for. Those who don’t communicate this well are more likely to go out of business. The goal is to describe this vision or big idea in a tagline or short catchphrase that creates an image in the minds of the audience. It clearly describes the business while making a good impression. A great tagline comm

Communicating effectively is a challenge. As described in last week’s blog – miscommunication is rampant – we misunderstand, misinterpret, misspell, mispronounce, and more. You can meet the 10 “faces” of miscommunication here: https://www.nutritioncommunicator.com/single-post/2019/04/05/Miss-Communication-conquers-miscommunication Can the formidable foe of miscommunication be conquered? Yes. We can beat miscommunication when we craft “words that work.” I propose “words that w

Well-constructed communication is like having a foundation that is unshakable. This photo shows our February house on Cape San Blas, Florida. This house withstood the near category 5 winds and storm surge of Hurricane Michael last October relatively unscathed. Many homes in the path of the hurricane were reduced to rubble. The houses on either side of this one had to be completely gutted. Construction crews are working to get them livable again. Advance steps taken to strateg

“Making a list and checking it twice...” That familiar song lyric can apply not only to Santa at this time of year, but to all of us. Planning and preparation can be keys to a stress-free holiday. Do the holidays stress you out? If so, you are not alone. Surveys show that about two-thirds of Americans report their stress level as very or somewhat elevated during the holidays.(1) Another study found 31% of us describe our holidays as “frantic.”(2) That makes me sad – how about

Who’s going to FNCE? That’s short for Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo – the annual meeting of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. It is just over two weeks away. In countdown fashion, allow me to share 10 tips to get ready and get the most out of the convention… 10 – Identify your priorities. Why are you going? Your off-the-cuff answer may be to get continuing education credits (CEUs). That should be a high priority, but get more out of FNCE than just 20+ CEUs. 9 –

Would you agree that effective communication is well planned and executed? Have you ever tried to “wing it” and regretted not putting more time into careful preparation? Most of us have at least one disaster story. Learn from those mistakes and prevent future disasters with a proven plan – download a free copy of my updated eBook: “10 Steps to Creating Compelling Communication.” Get your copy: https://www.nutritioncommunicator.com/resources-to-supplement-the-book. The diagram

The first chapter in the upcoming Academy Guide to Nutrition Communication introduces the foundation of nutrition communication, defines terms, and describes the vast application of communication principles to nutrition practice. I wrote the chapter with Dr. Ardyth Gillespie, retired professor of nutritional science from Cornell, where I completed graduate school and studied under Dr. Gillespie. In writing this chapter we worked together to create the “Framework for Planning

If you’ve been communicating in a professional setting for any length of time, you surely have a “disaster story” – a time when everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. In the chapter on planning and logistics in the upcoming Academy Guide to Nutrition Communication I give this advice: “expect the unexpected.” Prepare – to Prevent disasters, to have a “Plan B” when they occur, and above all, to maintain a Positive attitude – 4 P’s. I invited Amy Habig, MPH, RDN, LD, Prog

Effective nutrition communication is not an accident, but is strategically designed. It is the result of making a plan, working the plan, and evaluating the entire process and outcomes. “Lucky breaks” do happen, most often when hard work and preparation meet opportunity. Nutrition communicators who appear successful simply “throwing something together” at the last minute, have likely been in the trenches for the long haul, learning from mistakes and honing their craft. Well-d