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In praise of jargon – a defence of the apparently indefensible
Despite its bad press, could management-speak actually turn out to be a good thing? According to a YouGov survey, management jargon is choking the life out of meaningful communication in the workplace....
View ArticleMy BBC Radio 4 ‘Word of Mouth’ interview
In July 2010 I got a call, out of the blue, from a BBC radio producer. An article I’d published way back in back in 2007, with the catchy title, In Praise of Jargon, had caught his eye. He was working...
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This metaphor ain’t dead, it’s just restin’
Judging from a list of the ‘most annoying clichés’ in the English language compiled by the Plain English Campaign – one of the greatest examples of modern oratory might never have seen the light of...
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How to be an outstanding communicator
The message from recruitment agencies, employer surveys and the like is familiar, loud and clear: you must be an outstanding communicator if you want to get to the top of your profession. Technical...
View ArticleEd Miliband’s bargain basement speech
Barack Obama’s greatest speeches are full of images and stories. Ed Miliband’s effort on Tuesday was piled with abstractions and cliches, taking us into the bargain basement of oratory. “We need a new...
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Festive Greetings!
Here’s my Christmas cartoon – hope you enjoy it! How we celebrate Christmas now... We wish you a very happy festive season, and all the very best for 2012. Cheers, Martin and Martha PS For those who...
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Why Ed Miliband’s Speeches Need More Heart
Ed Miliband continues to have trouble getting his message across, and he knows it. In the wake of a poor conference speech and a 2011 beset with difficulties he attempted to stop the rot by appointing...
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Improvising authenticity – has the written speech had its day?
Last week’s UK Speechwriters’ Guild London conference was a triumph for its founder Brian Jenner and a delight for its participants. Brian’s recipe for success is based on keeping things simple. He...
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Musings on cartoon thinking, comedy and speechwriting
I’ve led many cartoon workshops over the years, and have yet to meet someone incapable of learning how to draw. But occasionally before a workshop, I’m told, “I’m sure you won’t be able to teach me how...
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Do you know your apophasis from your paralipsis? And does it matter?
The nomenclature of rhetoric can be baffling to the newcomer and the seasoned pro alike. The first pothole on the road to understanding is crammed with a hotchpotch of long Greek words that are...
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