Nearly a quarter of Americans (24%) apologize for something outside of their control at least once a day. While most people view these over-apologizers as empathetic (and not annoying), all that extra apologizing can diminish the sincerity of a genuine apology. This session will cover common language practices that can diminish or downplay our expertise, such as over-apologizing, starting factual statements with “I think,” and saying, “I just wanted to” instead of stating exactly what you want to do. Because these language tactics keep us humble, approachable, and yes, empathetic, the goal is not to eliminate them from our writing and language completely, but to be curious about our communication and consider whether we’re leaning too much on flimsy, diffident language. In this session, we’ll present ways to infuse bold, confident statements into our writing and speaking — specifically in situations where they will make the biggest impact.

LUNCHEON AGENDA:
11:00 AM – 11:30 AM  Registration/Networking
11:30 AM – 11: 40 AM Non-Profit Spotlight – Switchpoint
11:40 AM – 11:55 AM  Lunch
11:55 AM – 12:00 PM  Announcements
12:00 PM – 12:10 PM  Sponsor Comments
12:10 PM – 12:55 PM  Topic Presentation & Round Table Exercise
12:55 PM – 1:00 PM    Closing Remarks & Drawings