Communicating with Impact

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I bring extensive experience working on communication skills through various institutes/workshops, in leadership programs, with organizations and in teaching/learning settings . Programs are hands-on, with active participation and considerable individual feedback. Our focus is on finding your unique voice, with brevity, clarity and impact.

I’m available for:

Interactive Workshops

Speaking with Impact: Improve your ability to speak fluidly and with impact. In this hands-on workshop you’ll build a real presentation, on a topic and to an audience that you expect to present to. We’ll work on  brevity, key messages, simplicity, and clarity, building confidence in using your unique voice and style with greater proficiency, drawing from personal experiences and expertise. You’ll develop pacing, organization, voice modulation, volume, body language, audience engagement and eye contact, useful in small committee meetings through formal public speaking.

Each workshop will be limited to eight participants, and may be structured over a single day or spaced out over a week or two, to provide time to develop, and after feedback revise, your presentation.

Writing for the Public workshops are suitable for anyone interested in effectively communicating to a broad public audience. As a workshop participant you’ll have the opportunity to communicate your own work through effective, compelling and engaging writing. We’ll work on developing brevity, clarity and impact, gaining confidence and skill to tell your story with greater proficiency. Target publications might include opinion pieces in major newspapers and magazines, blog posts, press releases, websites, trade books and newsletters, among others.
Each all-day workshop will be limited to eight participants, who will work on their own distinctive, potentially publishable projects. Format will be hands-on and participatory, focused on clear thinking, succinctness, simplicity, storytelling and bringing key messages front and center, using intensive group feedback, editing and revisions. We’ll also discuss audiences, outlets and the nuts and bolts of publishing a public piece. Participants will leave the workshop with a draft of at least part of a piece suitable for submission.

Personalizing the Impersonal:

At its core, non-fiction writing is about telling a true story that entertains and informs. It is about personal experience, real people and events told in a compelling and creative way.
This workshop will explore how to bring deeper reflections into your writing, engaging your audiences through story and personal anecdote linked to broad issues of public interest. We’ll work on brevity, clarity and focus. You’ll gain confidence in using your unique voice and style with greater proficiency through clear thinking, succinctness, simplicity and bringing key messages front and center.  You’ll work on whatever writing is on your plate at the moment, with possible outlets including newspapers, magazines, books, blogs, press releases, web sites, pitches or whatever is currently occupying your writing space.
The workshop will be interactive and participatory, using writing exercises, intensive group feedback, editing and revisions. Be prepared to write; bring whatever you like to write in or on.
Note that the workshop can also be focused on public speaking skills in addition to or instead of writing.

mark-winston

Science Communication: Effective scientific communication is challenging at any level, whether it’s between colleagues, with stakeholders who might benefit from your research or to public audiences. The challenge is to clearly communicate with impact why you do what you do and why it’s important, without the crutches of confusing jargon or technical detail that quickly lose your audience.

We’ll work on drawing from your personal experiences and expertise, focusing on clear thinking, brevity, simplicity and clear messaging. You’ll create short talks/written pieces based on the messages you want to communicate, learning to engage your audiences through story and personal anecdote without losing content. The sessions will be highly participatory, using feedback and revision to develop more powerful messages and increased capacity to speak and write with power. The outcome: your science communication will become more compelling and effective.

Workshops also can be designed for your personal or organization’s needs, and one-on-one Coaching is also available.

 Examples/Awards (Communicating with Impact)

  • Hollyhock Educational Retreat Centre: Facilitated workshop Communicating with Impact, Cortes Island B.C. (2011), and Vancouver (2012, 2013)
  • Canadian Science Writers Association: Conducted writing workshop Personalizing the Impersonal, Calgary Alberta, and Guelph, Ontario
  • Action Canada: Leading with Questions and Communicating with Impact workshops, over five years at many locations, 2005-2010
  • BC Government Employees Union: Facilitated workshop Leading with Questions, Whistler BC
  • Banff Centre for the Arts: Founding faculty member, and taught for five years in the Science Communication program, a two-week intensive summer institute
  • UBC Genomics: Communicating Science with Impact, 2013
  • Eve Savory Award for Science Communication, Science Council of B.C. 2001
  • Michael Smith Award for Science Promotion, NSERC 2004
  • Alberta Environment and Parks, 2019: Communicating Scientific Uncertainty, Edmonton and Calgary

Testimonials

This was the best writing workshop I’ve ever attended

I want to belatedly celebrate Saturday’s stellar nonfiction writing workshop, conducted by the excellent Mark Winston, who managed to take us from raw idea to fairly polished short piece in a *single day*. Magic. 

Mark did a great job involving everyone in the group discussions

Personable, intelligent and perceptive, wise and calm demeanor

 A unique and valuable mentor and session leader, extremely insightful

Power of his message delivered with great experience insight, respect for participants, loved his sessions

He was really amazing, kept you focused and always engaged

 Connected, aware, gentle, intelligent

 Mark was great, very hands-on program

Mark Winston is a very profound communicator

 

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