What’s So Funny? IABC Dallas Shares How Humor Is an Effective Business Tool

DALLAS -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Merrie Spaeth, founder of Spaeth Communications, will present “Humor as a Leadership Tool” at the Feb. 14 luncheon of the Dallas chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators.

“Humor in its many forms can be used as a leadership tool, a motivational technique and an important way to pace meetings and presentations,” says Spaeth. “For a lucky few, humor comes naturally. The rest of us have to learn how to use it. Effective communicators know they have to motivate their audiences and humor substantially improves communication and presentations.”

Spaeth’s presentation will address the following topics:

• What’s not funny: Topics to avoid.
• Techniques for the “humor challenged.”
• Defusing difficult situations or issues.
• Examples of companies that have successfully built humor into their corporate culture.

A pioneer in communication theory, executive training and coaching, Spaeth has a distinctive background in media, government, politics and business entertainment.

Spaeth has coached thousands of executives who want to become more effective communicators, improve their presentation skills and ultimately expand their leadership capabilities. She provides clients a proven approach to communication and teaches them how to structure remarks and presentations to further their careers. Her clients include Fortune 500 C-suite executives who have adopted the Spaeth approach for themselves and their global organizations as well as entrepreneurs, academic gurus, politicians and many others.

Spaeth was a White House Fellow assigned to FBI Director William Webster. She served two years as director of public affairs for the Federal Trade Commission, and in 1983 President Ronald Reagan appointed her as director of media relations at the White House, where she introduced satellite interviews and created the electronic White House News Service. In 1987, she founded Spaeth Communications, Inc., which provides strategic communication counseling and training for a wide range of individuals, companies and institutions.

An adjunct professor in the Business Leadership Center at Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business, Spaeth writes regularly on timely communication topics, and her columns have been collected into two books, Marketplace Communication and Words Matter. Both books, as well as many of her articles, are available at http://spaethcom.com. She also had a career in acting, beginning with a starring role in “The World of Henry Orient” with Peter Sellers and Angela Lansbury. She later became a speechwriter for the legendary William S. Paley, founder and chairman of CBS, Inc.

Attendees must register for this event (which begins at 11:15 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m. at Maggiano’s Little Italy http://maggianos.com/EN/Willow-Bend_Plano_TX/Pages/LocationLanding.aspx in Plano). Registration information is available at the IABC Dallas website. Registration closes at 10 p.m. Feb. 9.

IABC is a worldwide professional organization of more than 15,000 communicators. Membership benefits include accreditation and professional development opportunities, access to leading-edge research and publications, and networking in local regional, national, and international venues. IABC Dallas is one of the top 10 chapters. The chapter serves more than 300 members representing corporations, agencies, and professional services, as well as government, association, not-for-profit and entrepreneurial organizations. IABC Dallas offers a range of resources and networking opportunities, including regular professional development meetings, workshops and seminar, member newsletters, awards programs and job placement resources. For more information, visit http://www.iabcdallas.com.

Twitter Pitch:

@iabcdallas luncheon, Feb. 14, Plano Maggiano's. Merrie Spaeth @Spaethcom on leadership, humor. Register http://bit.ly/ylrvae #iabcdallas

Links:

IABC Dallas http://www.iabcdallas.com

IABC: http://iabc.com

Twitter@IABC Dallas

Maggiano’s Little Italy: http://maggianos.com/EN/Willow-Bend_Plano_TX/Pages/LocationLanding.aspx

Spaeth Communications, Inc.: http://spaethcom.com

http://twitter.com/ - !/SpaethCommunications

http://facebook.com/SpaethCommunications

http://linkedin.com/company/85999

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