Just how does one become a better public speaker? I mean let’s be serious here, you do want to get better, don’t you? Pretty much any book that you read on the subject or class that you attend in order to build up your skills will tell you the same time — if you really want to get better, then you’ve got to take the time to watch the pros at work. Great, just where do you find such pros and how can you get admitted to their speeches to watch them at work? Good news — I’m going to tell you how (and it’s free!) …

The Accidental Communicator shares a useful but easily overlooked tip and references some related posts that look interesting as well. Shared on Twitter by @JaniceTomich.

Meetings get a bad rap in business today and for good reason—very little gets accomplished in them. I can recall a Dilbert cartoon in which several people sat around a table while the meeting organizer said, "There is no specific agenda for this meeting. As usual, we'll just make unrelated emotional statements about things which bother us…

I've attended way too many bad meetings, and I first got excited about making the better when I read about meetings at Intel in an early Fast Company. Now How magazine points to Business Week and an article about meetings at Google. Maybe someday.

Do you listen and watch your recorded speeches? It can be a real challenge to do this, in part because all your assets and flaws are revealed in a recording.

A colleague and I recently started an online radio show. Of course, with any new technology there will be technical glitches that need to be smoothed out. Our first show aired in late December, and did have some glitches. Yet, I was eager to hear the recorded show, and I did that soon after the air time. Through the wonders of technology, we speakers can broadcast on a free radio network, and gain additional Stage Time. Then our shows are recorded and available on a website, which is convenient for listeners and a marketing tool for us. What a wonderful learning lab, too.

When I coach speakers I advise all to record their talks. It is the ultimate teacher. My verdict on show #1 was that content needs to be enhanced, and my voice sounded remarkably clear and strong. Here is the link to our show.

Haven't thought about this in a long time. Recording the outgoing message on voice mail gives a perfect opportunity to listen to yourself. I learned to listen to these to develop vocal qualities long ago from Mary-Ellen Drummond.

"Only 10% of our life span is determined by our genes." Dan Buettner makes a fascinating--and pretty convincing--case for adopting a healthy lifestyle. If you haven't got time to watch a twenty-minute video full of examples, you can read a summary at Presentation Zen. But you'll be better off for watching the video.