Some good advice from Karen Amstrong.

"There are times when you have to speak out against injustice or cruelty. But if you speak — and this is what Gandhi said — in order to punish or wound, you will do more harm than good. The Dalai Lama said that to condemn injustice with hatred in your voice will make the injustice worse. ... So it does no good to attack viciously. The thing to do is not to rise to the bait."

-from an interview with Karen Armstrong in the June issue of the Believer magazine.

"Hearts and kidneys are tinker toys! I am talking about the central nervous system!"

This morning we attended the dedication ceremony for the new Maryland Neuroimaging Center in College Park. The University of Maryland's Vice President for Research began his remarks by saying: "Everything I know about the brain, I learned from the movie [...pause...] Young Frankenstein."

GREAT Question!

Every public speaking coach I've known advises presenters not to respond to a question from the audience with "That's a good question." The fear is that as inquiries progress, when you do not respond affirmatively, the questioner will feel badly, as if he or she asked a less-than-stellar question.

Well, maybe they did. Maybe the question is irrelevant, or less-than-focused. Maybe it completely distracts from your main point.

A good presentation invites good questions; as a speaker, you are taking time to highlight your main points. Why not also highlight the questions that frame your important responses?

Also, a good presentation is a shared and equitable experience between the presenter and the audience. You are inviting conversation. As a partner in the conversation, you have the right to respond honestly, and to passionately build the discussion.

Responding, "Great question!" is not about passing judgment on your audience; it's about you and your interests, and the information you are excitedly sharing. Don't tamp down your enthusiasm. Great questions service the delivery of great content.