Five Keys to Communicating Difficult News

One of the most important roles of a leader is to communicate effectively during difficult moments. After all, there is no time that customers, investors, and employees will be more focused on the message from the top than when proverbial sirens are blaring, and smoke is in the air. How and what leaders communicate during challenging times can define the legacy of not only the leader but the entire organization. So, leaders, in this moment, tread carefully but do communicate.

Here are five keys to communicating in challenging times:

Christina McKennaMarch 26, 2025speaker coaching, spokesperson, CEO, CFO, media training

Three Signs It's Time to Hire a Speech Coach

“There’s not an employee at the company who doesn’t love him,” she said, “Which is why it’s so hard to watch.”

The HR leader was calling about her company’s beloved CEO, a talented executive who had risen through the organization’s own ranks to land the top job, only to underwhelm in high stakes moments.

Christina McKennaMarch 3, 2025speaker coaching, spokesperson, CEO, CFO, media training

Three Great Ways to Start a Presentation

A while back, some longtime clients asked me to sit in as a salesman made his pitch to them. His firm had just launched an innovative new program and my clients were eager to learn how it might improve outcomes for their company.

As the salesman organized himself at the front of the room, a good-sized audience settled in and anticipation grew. As the host introduced the speaker, the room hushed. We were ready to be wowed.

The One Question Every Presenter Should Ask

Clients often ask us to review major presentations at the eleventh hour, hoping we can make the tweaks that will take their material from good to great. In the best cases, our job is to put icing on the cake and who doesn’t love to do that? But sometimes, the cake isn’t ready for icing. In fact, in some cases, everyone is still scrambling around, trying to find the ingredients. Often those frantic, final meetings are spent searching for photos, fretting over font sizes, adjusting bullets and reordering slides ad nauseam.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up Your Slides

Recently Netflix released the list of its most popular programming for the last decade and not surprisingly, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” cleaned up in the non-fiction category, coming in at number one.

In a series of hour-long episodes, organization phenom Kondo brings calm to the most cluttered homes by ordering inhabitants to gather all their stuff into a single, messy pile, and then asks them to touch each item individually to test whether it “sparks joy.”

Overcoming Speaker Panic: Six Tips

Not long ago, while attending an industry conference I bumped into a smart, professional woman I know. She asked what tips I had for people, like her, who panic when they speak. “Just power through it,” I said. “We all get nervous.” “No, not NERVOUS,” she said. “I don’t get nervous. I PANIC. I’m petrified. My throat tightens, I get cold sweats, my skin gets blotchy and I feel like I could faint.” Oh. That’s different.

Three Quick Ways to Elevate Your Virtual Presentation

Truth be told, if we’re talking to peers or digitally hanging out with friends, how we look on-camera doesn’t much matter. But that’s not the case when more is at stake, like when a leader is delivering serious news to the company, speaking to VIP stakeholders or being interviewed by news media.

Media Won't Cover You? Cover Yourself.

Years ago when I was the lead spokesperson for Boston Edison, the company went through a brutal six-month stretch during which it was pounded in the press for an unusually high number of power outages and accidents---and THEN suffered an ugly labor strike.

So when I heard that, in the wake of a series of Florida hurricanes, our crews were heading south to help restore power, we made a serious round of media calls. I wanted to be sure every local TV station and newspaper got the word that, in this case, we were the good guys, stepping up to help those in need.

Put Down the Tech and Just Talk

In this age of digital technology, the rules of business etiquette seem to be relaxing. But lately I’ve seen some especially bad behavior involving public speaking and tech. A few months ago, I was at an entrepreneurs forum, listening to a panelist describe his business idea, when I was distracted by a man nearby, visibly scrolling through his cell phone. I know, you’re thinking, “Annoying. But not egregious.” Well, what if I told you he was the MODERATOR?

Better than Bullets: The Best Way to Prep for a Presentation

I recently spoke to a group of executives about the importance of making every presentation count. I emphasized what a shame it is to win an audience with people who matter most to your business (customers, prospects, employees, etc.) and then squander it by being boring, off point or even “just OK.”

Christina McKennaFebruary 25, 2019presentations, keynote, powerpoints, speeches, speech writers, pr, media training

Five Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Media Trainer

Whether your organization is facing a crisis, or you’re just hoping to score some positive press, it’s smart to make sure the person talking to the media is prepared to look and sound great when the pressure is on.

How to Pull a Bad Interview out of the Fire

Ever had a job interview, media interview or even a key meeting that seemed to go south before it started? Or perhaps strayed off topic mid-way and never got back on track? Whether it’s a radio interview that dwells on what your new product CAN’T do, or a job interview that focuses too much on your shortcomings, you can still pull it out of the fire with one simple trick.

Christina McKennaFebruary 11, 2019media training, reporters, PR, media interview, job interview, tough questions, media tips

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