Guest Blogs

Knowitall.ch often invites local experts in their field to contribute to their own blogs on our site. This means not only you will benefit from the useful recommendations that we make on our News pages, but you can also profit from some of the great advice and tips that these experts have to make on their favorite subjects. Whilst each of these bloggers has been recommended to us at some point during the evolution of Know-it-all passport and knowitall.ch, obviously we are not able to test out all the suggestions they make on their blogs, nor do we necessarily agree with all their opinions. So if you do find one of their tips useful (or not!), do let us know!

To make these blogs more accessible to you, we have now decided to group them altogether in one section, entitled Guest Blogs, accessible from our main menu bar. We will also post the most recent blogs on the home page of our site in the right hand column.

We are still building up this area of the site, and are looking for bloggers in a number of sections, including Your Home, Travel, and Leisure, so if you feel you have a useful contribution to make in either of these areas, and have the time to submit blog entries approximately every month, then please get in touch!

: Published: 24 November 2022

By Claire Doole, www.doolecommunications.com

One of the most common refrains I hear when coaching senior leaders in public speaking is they have to rewrite most of the speeches drafted for them.

Much of the time the person struggles to deliver the speech because it has not been written for them. In the words of one agency head, “it doesn’t capture my voice.”

I have written many speeches. I see my job as writing the speech that the speaker themselves would write if only they had the time. I have to stand in the shoes of that person and see the world as they see it.

Below are some tips based on how I capture my speaker's voice.

Research

Listen to recordings of the speaker at events and conferences. If you are a staff member observe the speaker at town hall meetings or during internal webinars.

Get to know your speaker

You must have access to the speaker so that they are involved in the drafting process. During a phone call or in-person meeting, together, you will first have to define the purpose, audience and argument of the speech. But don’t forget to drill down on the essence of that person – what drives them? What are their beliefs? What type of person are they?

: Published: 28 October 2022

train window

Text and photos by Aurea Fagel

After a very long Covid spell, I am back kicking and eager to give you again my humble recommendations for local travel! My recent trip was an unexpected destination - dazzling Davos! One you won’t probably put on your list but will certainly tickle your interest especially if you are looking for some quiet respite with nature and a relaxing break. Indeed, it is a famous ski resort destination but here are 8 reasons I can give you to consider Davos on your summer/autumn travel list:

Get on a Rhaetian Railway train! If you are going to Davos, taking the train is a great option, especially with Carte Journalière deals. You will hop on the historic Rhaetian Railway trains passing through the scenic alpine forests and mountains en route to Davos Platz/Klosters. You may even max out your ticket by taking the UNESCO heritage Rhaetian Railway Albula-Bernina route to Filisur or Tiefencastel and pass through 2 historic bridges “Landwasserviadukt” and “Wiesnerviadukt”!

Take a leisurely visit to Schatzalp, the location for the movie and literary masterpiece “Magic Mountain” by Thomas Mann. It is just a 10-minute funicular ride and you will see right away the Art Nouveau Hotel Schatzalp which was once a luxurious sanatorium in the late 19th century and now also houses over 3,000 varieties of plants and herbs (like at least 5 kinds of rosemary herbs from various countries!) in their botanical garden. The historic hotel has a nice balcony restaurant giving you panoramic mountain views such as the Jakobshorn, Rinerhorn and Piz Ela. Inside the hotel you will find Art Nouveau decors and ambiance especially the dining room and lobby. And of course, walking trails!

: Published: 09 October 2022

ten tips for conducting successful remote interviews 1 copy

By Claire Doole, www.doolecommunications.com

What is the first thing you think about when asked to give a presentation or speech?

That is a question I often ask in my presenting and speechwriting workshops.

The answers are often very candid but very wrong. They range from the slides I can recycle from previous presentations to structure and messaging.

You can’t give an impactful presentation or speech until you have worked out who you are talking to. Too many speaking engagements are wasted opportunities because the speaker has not tailored his or her content to the audience. If you give some off-the-shelf presentation, audiences know that you are speaking at them and not to them, and will, often, zone out.

You need to ask yourself three questions:

What does my audience know about the topic of my speech?
What is their attitude to the topic?
How big is the audience, and what is the setting?

: Published: 15 September 2022

BSG Simon Thompson copy

Press release, August 2022

British School of Geneva (BSG), the well-known, long-standing English language school for children aged 4-18 has just appointed Simon Thompson as its new Principal.

Mr. Thompson started in August 2022 and joins BSG from Kilkenny College in Ireland, where he was Headmaster. He replaces Mark McCullough, who is returning to his native Northern Ireland.

Mr. Thompson will bring nearly 20 years of experience as a Headmaster to BSG. Under his leadership, Kilkenny College has developed as Ireland’s largest and most successful co-educational boarding and day school, with 960 students and more than 140 staff.

Mr. Thompson joins BSG at a time of exciting growth with strong demand for places for the 2022-23 academic year. Commenting on Mr. Thompson’s appointment, Philippe Grosskost, managing director of International Schools Partnership – Europe, which owns BSG, said: “BSG is a growing school, which is testament to the outstanding work of the whole staff. Simon joins at an exciting time and has exactly the right leadership skills to guide BSG on the next stage of its journey. Most importantly, he has a very strong track record for improving student learning outcomes and will ensure that we continue to help our students achieve the best grades that they can, while making a positive contribution to society as happy, confident individuals.”

Simon Thompson, new Principal of British School of Geneva said: “The role of Principal at BSG is a very exciting one for me. It would always take a lot for me to leave a wonderful school like Kilkenny College, but the opportunity to join another very successful school with a close parent community, was a real draw. I can’t wait to start.”

: Published: 12 September 2022

reading rope

By Oak Hill Nyon — An individualised and research-based, half-day programme for students with dyslexia and/or AD(H)D

What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a specific learning difference that is characterised by difficulties with spelling, vocabulary, decoding, poor word recognition/fluency and/or comprehension challenges. It is often related to deficits in phonological and/or orthographic processing and it is estimated (Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity) that it affects approximately 1 in 5 of the population - including many of the young people in our classrooms. As a result, the reading demands of the secondary curriculum often require a greater amount of concentration and focus for individuals with dyslexia.

What’s different about reading in the middle years?

In secondary school, all students are introduced to greater volumes of text (as well as more complex content/vocabulary/concepts). As a result, the student with dyslexia may wonder (or despair!) why reading a play, poetry or a novel is much easier for their friends. They may also feel it is unfair that they have to work so much harder to make the same amount of progress. Perhaps parents or teachers reading this blog have heard these sorts of complaints or comments?

Whatever the situation, teenagers with reading challenges will need just as much support, encouragement, praise and understanding as they did in their primary years! Parents really do have a valued role helping their teenager engage with a text.