Lothery & Associates

Diversity Archives

Merry Christmas! Or is it?

Happy Chanukah? Merry Christmas? Happy Kwanzaa? Happy Holidays! What are we supposed to say in this time of year? The easy one is coming up…Happy New Year! As for the rest, we can debate that ad nauseum. I’ve decided to venture away from strictly communication tips this time, and work a little cross cultural communication into the blog.

Mandela Day of Service

Have you heard? It’s Nelson Mandela’s 93rd birthday!

The world renown leader and notable symbol of the civil rights struggle for all Africans, and African-Americans everywhere is worthy of a birthday party of epic proportions. Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and sentenced to life in prison for having the audacity to try and change the system that rendered him, and all others of his race powerless, second-class people, without hope of being able to earn a better future for themselves. He ultimately served 27 years in jail before being released. Despite this somewhat tortured past, his story and life inspired the nation to ultimately elect him President in 1994, this after winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. If you’ve seen the movie Evictus, you saw the story of how he went on to unite a sharply divided nation through sport.

Let the Political Games Begin: Obama & Meyers 1, Trump 0

At the risk of sounding redundant, please check your red, blue, and tea party hats at the door. We’re talking communication today, not politics. One can’t help but comment on the White House Correspondent’s dinner, Saturday night. It’s the best dinner of the year, and an annual event where every sitting President gets the opportunity to poke a little fun at themselves, and their critics. It’s the most “real” you’ll ever see any of the Presidents (and in some cases, their spouses) as they’re allowed and, in fact, encouraged to let the sarcasm roll, the cheap shots fly, and the pure acceptance of the successes, failures, criticisms and challenges they’ve faced for the previous 12 months. It is in fact, to borrow a phrase from Fox…a no spin zone.

Ted Williams: A Golden Voice, and Priceless Inspiration

For those of you who follow my blog posts regularly, you know I usually take a story or news-maker from the headlines, and break down the critical communication elements of the speaker, then offer tips of my own for how …

Mel’s Meltdowns: Lessons Learned

Another day, another meltdown caught on tape for Mel Gibson.  Typically, I blog about athletes who get into trouble and executives who score big, or have a huge miss, but rarely do I dip into Hollywood.  Yesterday, someone who follows …

BACK