Hi Reader, Hope you are off to a great start this week. If you remember (if you had read!) in my last email, I promised I'd share the shift that helped me bridge the gap between understanding something and explaining it clearly. It's a very simple shift and here it is... I stopped preparing for myself. And started preparing for my audience. At first, that sounds like the same thing. It isn't. When most of us prepare, we ask questions like: Do I know this well enough? What if they ask me a...
25 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Yesterday, I promised I'd tell you what Jerry meant when he looked at me after that speech contest and said, "Rama... you're not intelligible." At the time, I honestly thought he was talking about my speaking. Maybe my pronunciation. Maybe my delivery. For a moment, I even wondered if he meant I wasn't intelligent! (Thankfully, that's a different story.) I couldn't have been more wrong. It took me almost fourteen years to understand what he was really trying to tell me. And when I...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader A few days ago, I got off a coaching call. He's the Vice President of IT Applications at a large enterprise. Brilliant guy. The kind of leader who can walk into a room full of consultants and challenge their recommendations. He's leading a multi-million-dollar transformation program. His job isn't as an individual contributor. His job is something much harder. He has to become the bridge between business leaders and technology. When third party vendor proposes a solution...the CFO...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader Have you ever looked around your workplace and wondered... "How did they get promoted before me?" They're not necessarily smarter. They're not always more experienced. And they don't always work harder. So what are they doing differently? After coaching professionals for years and spending nearly two decades in the corporate world myself, I've noticed a pattern. The people who consistently move ahead understand one thing that most hardworking employees completely overlook. Once you...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
This week, I witnessed a communication mistake that many smart professionals make without realizing it. One of my leads needed an SME to review his work. Instead of making a simple request, he spent the next few minutes explaining why the review was needed, why it mattered, and why he was asking. As I listened, I realized something. The more he justified his request, the less confident he sounded. It wasn't because his work was weak. It was because he felt he had to earn the right to ask....
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader Have you ever sat through a status update and wondered... "What was the point of that?" Most status updates are full of information—but very little clarity. In my latest video, I share a rant and also one simple shift that can make your updates more valuable, more memorable, and more likely to earn trust from your leader, team, and clients. It'll only take a few minutes to watch, and I think you'll never look at status updates the same way again. I'd love to know what you think...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader Fourteen years ago, I thought I had finally figured out public speaking. For weeks, my world revolved around one speech. I rewrote it. I rehearsed it. I obsessed over every word, every pause, and every gesture. It was a key contests. I think it was Division level Speech Contest in Hartford, Connecticut. As the day approached, I could already picture the ending. I’d walk off the stage. The results would be announced. And my name would be among the winners. The day finally arrived. I...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader For years, I've taught public speaking. Recently, I noticed something interesting. Some professionals get promoted faster. Some entrepreneurs attract more opportunities. Some leaders gain influence quickly. And it isn't always because they're smarter or more experienced. They communicate differently. They possess what I call Communication Intelligence. Think about two people with the same knowledge. The same qualifications. The same technical expertise. One struggles to get noticed....
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader Have you ever finished a Toastmasters speech and thought: "That went okay... but I don't feel like I'm improving as fast as I should?" I certainly have. In my early Toastmasters days, I was doing everything right.. at least I thought Attending meetings. This is a part I did regularly. Then, started taking roles. This part was also good as I now started speaking. Speeches? I have a confession to make. It took 4 months to give my first speech! And that too one of the club mentors had...
3 months ago • 1 min read