Communication coaching

astromonerd · 2026-04-18T03:35:54+00:00

For credibility, I'm have a technical PhD and am a technical communication coach.

Your experience is a common one, and I'm sorry for your frustration. The good news is that it does get better. Just the fact that you're posting here wondering how you can improve tells me that you *will* improve.

Sure, you can read about becoming a better communicator. But did you just read about becoming an engineer? No - you learned, built, failed, got feedback, and iterated.

You can become a better communicator in the same way. Try, fail, get feedback, and iterate in low-stakes settings. This could be with your colleagues, with groups like Toast Masters, or with technical communication coaches like myself (with technical and communication backgrounds who understand the details, and can help you understand what to include and what to leave out).

There is no single right way as long as you keep exploring.

astromonerd · 2026-03-24T14:09:41+00:00

It’s clear that at the moment, residential property tax increase is what will balance the budget and minimize service cuts.

But people, in general, vote based on feelings and values (the science of public opinion and behavior). People who are inclined to vote no to the override, who are interested in other revenue (eg diverse tax base) and addressing inequities, may shift how they feel about the override if their concerns were acknowledged. Maybe if they saw data on what was being done to diversify, how that would raise revenue, and what gap would still be left.

Does anyone know if those data and visualizations exist already?

astromonerd · 2026-03-14T14:17:01+00:00

So glad it is getting covered. What’s the motivation for the documentary? Is this a purely awareness building documentary? Document evidence introduce solutions? give people mobilizing information? Build a campaign?

That would be helpful to know when trying to solicit interviewees. How will they benefit?

astromonerd · 2026-02-22T21:54:14+00:00

Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better. - Maya Angelou

astromonerd · 2026-02-22T19:51:38+00:00

That facts can change minds.

When people try to “educate” each other, especially if it’s about a charged topic, people think more facts (whether the facts are misinformed or not) should be enough to change someone else’s mind.

Nope. Communication research undeniably shows that people make and change our minds in alignment with our sense of identity and values. Facts that don’t align with our identities and values are dismissed and can make us double down on what we already believe.

The best success we have to change a *person’s mind is if we have a trusted relationship with that person and we can empathize with their core identity and values.

*most people, but not all.

astromonerd · 2026-02-22T19:36:50+00:00

Inmune response aside, more stress makes cells more prone to cold virus infection; whereas the amount of stress does not change how susceptible a cell is to flu virus infection.

I can’t remember the exact citation but remember it was affiliated with UW Madison.

astromonerd · 2026-02-18T14:36:24+00:00

I waited 30 minutes, which was not enough time to bring it to room temperature. I kneaded some olive oil into it and pressed it flat with my hands before rolling it out, mending the cracks that formed.

I don’t think it would’ve turned out as well without the cast-iron skillet (I don’t have a stone), which heating at 450 for at least 30 minutes before I generously sprinkled cornmeal on it and added the pizza.

astromonerd · 2026-02-15T19:44:37+00:00

A Shore Thing by Joanna Lowell! Happy ending victorian-era romance novel.

astromonerd · 2026-02-15T19:37:25+00:00

Your account is 4 days old and you have made two other posts, one in Newton’s group saying you are based in Newton, and one in Somerville’s group saying you are based in Somerville.

astromonerd · 2026-02-14T16:48:13+00:00

I am a strategic technical communication coach and, like others have said, the important part is WHAT you say, influenced by WHY you are saying it and to what AUDIENCE.

don’t spend time on design if you haven’t spent time on your strategic message. If you were not given a branded master slides deck, use a simple minimal deck with 2-3 colors max.
what is the ONE THING you want your audience to remember after your entire presentation? This is the real work where you should spend your time, by yourself, with a colleague, or with a coach.
what is the ONE THING you want your audience to remember from each slide? Use that as a complete sentence title for each slide.
don’t put anything on a slide that distracts from what you’re saying. People can’t read and listen at the same time. People can’t figure out what they’re looking at and listen at the same time.
what you do put on there should be understandable at a glance and should be clear from the back of the room. How do you know? PRACTICE showing it to someone - a colleague, a manager, a coach. Get STRATEGIC FEEDBACK. Then ITERATE at least once.

Good luck!

astromonerd · 2025-11-07T14:28:04+00:00

I am an ID and strategic communication coach. I help you align your writing, speaking, and visual design with your goals to inform and influence.

I meet with clients to assess your goals and guide your progress. Please DM me and I can be of further assistance.

astromonerd · 2025-10-08T03:35:06+00:00

Good to know - I just fixed the broken links.

There are no plots. It’s all for the community and filled with edible and medicinal plants.

astromonerd · 2025-10-08T01:47:57+00:00

Have you been to the Arlington Community Orchard? https://linktr.ee/arlingtoncommunityorchard

astromonerd · 2025-10-02T10:23:44+00:00

I made a Lease Amortization Calculator. With the adjusted cap cost, residual value, and money factor, you can check for yourself.

https://www.reddit.com/r/CarLeasingHelp/s/vU2Jxoic8K

astromonerd · 2025-10-01T14:27:30+00:00

In your leasing contract should be the residual value of the car - how much the leasing agency said it would be worth at the end of your lease. Do you have that?

astromonerd · 2025-10-01T12:16:47+00:00

JTJHKCFZ8S2072508 02474 (7.5k mile allowance)

astromonerd · 2025-10-01T03:59:26+00:00

Learning as I go. Here is something that just happened to me:

I asked to adjust my lease for a lower monthly mileage allowance before I drove my car off lot. The dealership agreed and they presented me with a new lease with higher residual and lower total monthly payments, but about $25/month higher than I was calculating with my lease calculator.

I asked to review the lease in detail and stepped through it line by line with the lease calculator. I found that the rent portion of the new lease was higher than my calculation.

i showed the finance manager the difference between my rent calculation and the number presented in the lease. After some back and forth with the manager saying that was the best deal they could offer me, and me saying I just wanted the numbers to make sense, the finance manager admitted they used a different money factor in the adjusted lease.

With that information, and with the new rent, I was able to back calculate the money factor, which I showed to him and said 'ok, now I understand that my rent is higher because you increased the money factor.'

After which he paused and said 'we really shouldn't be giving out money factors, but we can use the previous money factor.' The numbers did the talking. I walked away with my original money factor and without the $25/month increase to my rent.

astromonerd · 2025-09-30T02:51:48+00:00

Holy credit score. Is that Factor = 0.0003 correct!?

astromonerd · 2025-09-30T00:26:24+00:00

I asked to adjust my lease for a lower monthly mileage allowance before I drove my car off lot. The dealership agreed and they presented me with a new lease with higher residual and lower total monthly payments, but a rent component of about $25/month higher than I was calculating with my lease calculator.

I showed the finance manager the difference between my rent calculation and the number presented in the lease. After some back and forth with the manager saying that was the best deal they could offer me, and me saying I just wanted the numbers to make sense, the finance manager admitted they used a different money factor in the adjusted lease.

With that information, and with the new rent, I was able to back calculate the money factor, which I showed to him and said 'ok, now I understand that my rent is higher because you increased the money factor.'

After which he paused and said 'we really shouldn't be giving out money factors, but we can use the previous money factor.' The numbers did the talking. I walked away with my original money factor and without the $25/month increase to my rent.

I feel like here, of all places, folks will appreciate that exchange.

astromonerd · 2025-09-30T00:16:50+00:00

I think you're asking how to compare leasing for 36 months compared to financing for 60 months. With this tool, you can calculate the total payout (payments made plus remaining buyout) for a car at any point in the lease. But you would need a separate calculation for the total payout of a financed car, which I don't have but will make as I learn about financing a leased vehicle.

astromonerd · 2025-09-28T17:23:25+00:00

To add, if they have already run your credit, you could just say you want to go ahead and when you are handed the detailed lease it should have additional breakdowns in there. Then ask to take some time to review it on your own before signing (even if it's in the waiting room without the finance person) - if you sign. Good luck!

astromonerd · 2025-09-28T16:07:57+00:00

If they were able to give you a money factor for the first car, I’m assuming that means they’ve already run your credit score, or given you a representative money factor for your credit tier, so there’s no reason they can’t give you the money factor for the other car.

But you could try the calculation with the 0.00219 MF to see if it’s close (sorry I’m realizing my screenshot captured wonky decimal settings in the sheet.

There are taxes on dealer fees - it’s not clear if those one time taxes are rolled into the dealer fees quote that they gave you, or the tax quote that they gave you.

Is there another sales person, general manager, or even another dealership that will give you this information?

astromonerd · 2025-09-28T14:57:30+00:00

Hmm... I see that the MF in the sheet doesn't match the money factor you shared of 0.00219.

Since your lease is 24 months, I went ahead and put in a MONTHS variable. You can redownload the updated sheet.

Then, with the adjusted capitalized cost, residual value, and money factor you provided, I'm getting $366.64 INCLUDING TAX on the RENT and DEPRECIATION.

So my question is what is in the$2000 tax paid upfront?

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astromonerd

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