Deborah Grayson Riegel in Harvard Business Review

Your In-Person Presentation Skills Need a Refresh

By |2023-12-14T08:04:00-05:00December 14th, 2023|Business, Deborah Grayson Riegel in Harvard Business Review, Speaking|

Three years ago, the way we shared presentations at work (and school) drastically changed. Anyone used to presenting in person had to adapt, revise, and change their public speaking strategies. Whether you were a student sharing work with your class, a sales associate pitching to prospects, a consultant advising clients, or in any other field,

Nail Your Presentation — Even When Your Time Is Cut Short

By |2023-08-26T19:16:23-04:00August 26th, 2023|Deborah Grayson Riegel in Harvard Business Review, Speaking|

As a professional speaker for three decades, I’ve had to deal with my fair share of surprises that could have completely derailed my presentation. Like what? Like speaking during two separate blackouts without lights, AV, or functional toilets. Like facilitating a two-day training session where, in the middle of the first day, all participants got

Coaching a Direct Report Who Asks for Your Help

By |2023-03-26T10:19:35-04:00March 26th, 2023|Business, Deborah Grayson Riegel in Harvard Business Review|

Evolution has made humans helpful. We have evolved as a species to be “prosocial,” behaving in ways that are positive, helpful, and intended to promote social acceptance, connection, and friendship. Asking for, offering, and receiving help have aided our long-term survival. That being said, there is a difference between being inclined to help someone and knowing what

Are You Taking Full Advantage of Your Network?

By |2023-01-27T14:40:01-05:00January 27th, 2023|Business, Deborah Grayson Riegel in Harvard Business Review|

Over a breakfast of lattes and pumpkin muffins at my local coffee shop, a colleague and I reflected on how weird it felt to be meeting people in person post-Covid. We discussed the awkwardness of handshakes versus fist bumps, whether to sit inside or outside, and what to say or do when someone coughs and

The Best Public Speakers Put the Audience First

By |2023-01-27T14:28:43-05:00January 27th, 2023|Business, Deborah Grayson Riegel in Harvard Business Review, Speaking|

Several years ago, I traveled from New York to Geneva, Switzerland to be the closing keynote speaker for the World Communication Forum. I was excited to have the opportunity to speak with global leaders about how nonnative English speakers can present their ideas — and themselves — with greater clarity and confidence. For my allotted

How to Encourage Your Team to Give You Honest Feedback

By |2022-11-20T10:44:04-05:00November 20th, 2022|Business, Deborah Grayson Riegel in Harvard Business Review|

If you’re a manager, it’s not enough to be giving feedback to your direct reports. It’s part of your job to solicit feedback from your direct reports as well. As much as you might believe that you know your strengths and weaknesses well, without external self-awareness — an understanding of how what you say and

Ask for What You Need at Work

By |2022-08-22T20:31:16-04:00August 22nd, 2022|Business, Deborah Grayson Riegel in Harvard Business Review|

I was two years out of graduate school when I was offered my dream job. It had almost everything I wanted: work in a field I loved in a mission-driven organization, an impressive title, smart colleagues, global travel, professional development opportunities, and an easy commute from my home in New York City. But it was

Stop Complaining About Your Colleagues Behind Their Backs

By |2022-06-29T08:29:06-04:00June 29th, 2022|Business, Deborah Grayson Riegel in Harvard Business Review|

In my coaching work with leaders and teams, I often ask my clients whether they engage in workplace gossip. More often than not, they respond, “of course not!” with a look on their faces that indicates that they are insulted to have been asked such a question. But when I ask them whether they have

Feeling Disengaged at Work? Find Someone to Hold You Accountable.

By |2022-04-27T08:48:47-04:00April 27th, 2022|Deborah Grayson Riegel in Harvard Business Review|

During the pandemic, my daughter Sophie started a clothing resale business out of her bedroom. Most days, she was boxing up sweatshirts, shoes, bags, and jackets that she bought at bargain prices and sold at a profit. When business was booming, she would have 30 boxes to fill, seal, and label in a single day.

Should You Talk to Your Boss About Your Mental Health?

By |2022-01-30T19:11:29-05:00January 30th, 2022|Business, Deborah Grayson Riegel in Harvard Business Review, Self Care|

When I started my first job, I worried about disclosing my struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) to my boss. I was almost certain that she wouldn’t understand. Once she knew, I told myself, she’d assume I was unreliable and uncommitted. I imagined she’d deem me unworthy of a promotion, or worse, be entirely dismissive. For

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