Rhabdomancy

17/09/2026

If you have ever wondered what it is like to see the Rhabdomancer in action - check out my latest show reel, giving just a little peek into what it is I do. Enjoy.

Introducing Andrew Dowsett - Intergenerational Leadership Speaker

29/07/2026

"Kids these days don't want to work."

Tell that to the three 13 year olds who knocked on my door yesterday, buckets and sponges in hand, offering to wash my car to earn some summer cash.
They were polite, confident, and honestly gave a pretty good sales pitch for lads that age. It's exactly what I used to do myself as a kid in the summer holidays, and seeing it again after all these years reminded me that much of the "lazy generation" narrative is really just noise. It's adults/managers not looking in the right places, or not recognising initiative when it doesn't turn up in the format we're expecting.

This is basically the whole reason I do the work I do on intergenerational communication. Most of the friction between generations at work isn't a motivation problem at all. It's a translation problem, and it usually starts with one side assuming the worst about the other before they've even had a proper conversation.

Three kids and a bucket of soapy water made that case better than many management "thesis" or articles I've read recently.

If you're interested in this kind of thing, generational dynamics, workplace communication, and what's really going on underneath the headlines, follow along for more.

11/07/2026

10/07/2026

Shorts Vs Slacks for a Keynote tomorrow on the hottest day of the year(ish) so far....What should I do?

I'm looking forward to joining Genesis Care for their 2026 Executive Clinical Leaders meeting at the Royal College of Physicians tomorrow for my keynote on speaker skills for medical and clinical experts.

Right now I’m doing final practice run through and of course charging all my various devices to ensure a seamless delivery! but I am also sweating (literally) the detail of what outfit to wear...

My Keynote is focused on one of the most overlooked but critical professional skills: How we present as subject matter experts and ensure that our message lands effectively with our audience. In the clinical world, this quality of communication is not just about clarity. It is about confidence, trust, reassurance, and ultimately better colleague and patient experiences.

Brilliant clinicians are often expected to present complex ideas with no formal training in how to do it well. That gap is where I will be spending our time together.

We will explore:
1️⃣ How to communicate complex information in a way that can be genuinely understand
2️⃣ How to structure presentations so that key messages stick
3️⃣ And how to speak with clarity and authority without losing authenticity

I am always struck by how small shifts in delivery can create a hugely beneficial impact and as I finalise my prep, I realise I am already looking forward to an exciting and stimulating session. Watch this space, I’ll share a few of the insights from the event afterwards for anyone interested.

😶 Sooooo, has anyone got suggestions for what on earth to wear into central London on a stupidly hot Saturday and ensure I still look professional!?!? Ideas welcome!

07/07/2026

I am delighted to share that I will be speaking at EoS (Event organisers Summit) 2026 in October, Where we will be discussing all things intergenerational communication and how to bridge the generational divide as a manager in the multi-generational workplace. I hope you can join us! register today at: https://eventorganiserssummit.co.uk/

29/06/2026

I do love a tinker about with AI. Whilst I am not a fan of using it for overly bland content creation, I saw a version of this over the weekend and thought, well that could be a fun list for public speaking too.

The irony is not lost on me though that no matter how many prompts later, I still ended up rewriting about 80% of it!

Anyway regardless of the tools, the sentiment is true: You don't have to be naturally talented to be a credible public speaker, but you do have to show up. So with that in mind here's the list.

Ask yourself honestly are you doing all 10?

If not maybe i can help. To book a no obligation 30 min intro call visit link in bio.

Andrew

25/06/2026

I worked recently with a client who had been invited to speak at an important regional business show.

She came into the first session with what she described as “plenty of ideas”, but admitted she “didn’t have a clear story line, structure, or confidence in how to bring everything together”.

With a 20 minute slot, that is a familiar challenge. There simply is not space to say everything, so the focus has to shift quite quickly to what actually matters. We worked together over three sessions:

1️⃣ The first centred on defining the core objective and the single message for the audience.
2️⃣ The second looked at how the slides could support that message rather than compete with it.
3️⃣ The final session focused on delivery, pacing, and building confidence in how the story was told.

One line from her feedback stood out to me: “That clarity completely transformed the presentation.” It is a useful reminder that many public speaking challenges are not really about confidence, they are about clarirty of message, and ultimately, about trying to say too much, without a clear thread running through it.

When that clarity is in place, a lot of the other pieces tend to fall into place much more naturally.

TOP TIP: Focus ruthlessly on the one single message you want your audience to walk away with - everything else then flows from there.

23/06/2026

I don't do slides - and why you should throw yours away... probably.

That’s a bit of a lie actually – what I mean is: I don’t really do slides much. Not in a “never ever” kinda way, but more in a “don’t let them become the star of the show” kinda way. And if you do use them keep the content to a minimum.

Most of us use far more of them than we need to, and if I’m honest they often get in the way more than they help.

Also, most people lean on them waaaaaaaaaaay too heavily. Slides almost become the script, the safety net, and sometimes even the thing doing the majority of the talking. (not good!) which means the person in the front of the room doesn’t really have to.

I totally get it, it’s a great way to hide if you are nervous, but honestly the most liberating thing you can do next time you present is limit your slides or indeed, go ‘big and bold’ and run with no slides at all 🫢.

Why? Well, nobody wants to sit there being read to. People want to feel like you’re talking to them, not at them, and slides can quietly get in the way of that if you’re not careful.

So before your next presentation, it might be worth stepping back and asking yourself a couple of critical questions:
• What’s the one thing you actually want people to take away?
• Could you deliver it without your slides if you had to?
• Are your slides adding something, or just filling space?

Now slides are ace for complex data, and graphical or tabulated information so the definitely have a place. But beware if they are simply becoming the visual script to what you are saying rather than adding anything at all.

I often challenge my one-2-one clientele with this key question:
“if you had to strip your next deck right back to just 3 slide, what would you keep? Start there and see what a world of a difference it can make.

Hi I’m Andrew🎤, public speaking coach to high-performing professional subject matter experts struggling, to land their point when speaking in front of an audience – if that’s you, lets talk.

Image: Me, very obviously standing presenting with slides! – (what a liar!) 🫨

12/05/2026

Here's my secret ingredient for confidence when presenting in front of a large or daunting audience. If you are nervous, try the power pose and the power walk. Stand tall and believe in yourself - it makes a difference!

Big love to my co-star Telisha Matthews for this throw-back to a wonderful The Guided Growth Network (C.I.C) event last year.

Full video in comments

11/05/2026

www.rhabdomancy.co.uk/power-presenterThe count-down is on! - Just 5 days left to snap up a Pre-booked place on the June cohort of the Power Presenter Academy.

Don't miss out.

https://lnkd.in/es4g4dMr