Celebrate Often

Celebration 

When things are not going well, the last situation we want to be faced with is interacting with someone who is experiencing life’s great blessings.  Isn’t it interesting that when we are down we frequently face this scenario?

It is hard to celebrate someone else’s success when we feel unsuccessful.  When this is our reality we must reject the temptation to be jealous and act in their best interest.  We don’t want people to pull us down when we are flying high and we shouldn’t do it to them either.  Plus, the consequence of not celebrating with them can cause a loss of relationship.

Plan your own celebrations as well.  For example, where  you take on a significant task and complete it successfully reward yourself.  Also, at the end of the day reflect on the contributions you made to others and celebrate having improved their day.

Practicing Our Values

Kindness

Few of us are down right mean people but most of us fail to be kind at one time or another.  If you ever struggle with this, my advice is to simply act toward others the way you want to be treated.  

You have probably seen the bumper sticker that reads “Practice Random Acts of Kindness.” I experience this for my self while in a drive-thru line.  I pulled up to the window and the cashier said that the person ahead of me paid my bill.  I was blown away by the act and immediately wanted to return the favor.

Another remedy is to do something kind for someone who may least deserve it.  Performing such an act can be better than therapy.
 
It is such a great feeling to receive kindness. Our giving it back feels just as good to those we interact with. 

What is Your High Road?

Patience 

The other day I was late to an appointment and was waiting for a one-person-bathroom to come available.  I could hear the toilet paper roll dispensing, the toilet seat closing, the toilet flushing, the sink running and the hand towels dispensing.  But all of this was taking inordinately too long.  I was furious at the insensitivity of the person behind the bathroom door.  Well, furious until the door slowly opened and out shuffled a shriveled up old tinny handicapped woman apologizing profusely for taking so long.  I felt really small. 

Because “patience is a virtue,” I am facing my shortcomings and diligently practicing being patient.  If you suffer from this as well, all I can suggest is that you face your impatience, refresh your commitment to act with class, and redouble your effort to act patiently.  One practical suggestion: allow adequate time for what you need to do, because if you are pressed-for-time, impatience is just around the corner.

A Pilgrim’s
Progress

A picture hung on my living room wall for many years showing a Pilgrim couple landing in the “new world.”  They were walking inland after completing their voyage across the Atlantic.  A closer look revealed that the ship that brought them was heading over the horizon back to England.  It was a stark picture of total commitment without any way out.  I would often stop and look at the scene because it made such a profound statement about life.  You arrive on this planet and you have only one good choice: embrace it, discover why you are here, and courageously move forward.

The Pilgrim couple had come to the “new world” hoping for freedom and a chance to live life without intrusion.  We also know from history that they were ill prepared for what was before them.  They were beset by illness, frigid weather and numerous other setbacks.  Even with the help of the Native Americans the way forward was difficult at best.

Baptism by Fire
This hopeful and likely excited Pilgrim couple was embarking on a “baptism by fire,” they just didn’t know it.  They had much to learn and they were going learn it the hard way.  For them it was no different than a soldier’s first time in battle when his first emotion is fear and his first thought is, “What have I gotten myself into?!” 

Perhaps like me, your life has unfolded much like those Pilgrims; a series of opportunities and situations for which you were ill prepared.  Here are a few of my experiences:

• My first radio show when the person who was to coach me that evening did not show up. The clock struck 7 PM and I was on-air by the seat of my pants.
• Numerous management and marketing positions where I was given great responsibility without the promised support.
• Being a father to seven children and constantly learning the right things to do and the wrong things to stop doing.

I could make a much longer list and I suspect that you could too.  It would demonstrate that much of life is a “baptism by fire.”

Ounces of Courage
No one has ever done anything significant without courage.  Some of the most courageous people I have known or read about were those who took a huge step of faith to do something they believed they were put here on earth to do.  One example is the well-known missionary Jim Elliot and his fellow missionaries who lost their lives in the jungles of Ecuador. We might see this as a terrible waist of a life. But, after his death, this entry was found in one of Elliot’s journals: "I seek not a long life, but a full one, like You, Lord Jesus."  Equally courageous was his wife Elizabeth, who later traveled and met with the tribesmen who had killed her husband and completed the work he had started.

We are Like the Pilgrims
Pursuing our destiny is not easy.  It would be so much easier to focus on ourselves the way most people do.  However, when we understand the reason God put us here on this earth, we cannot ignore the assignment because our passions compel us to act. 

The same was true for the Pilgrims.  They had to do what they felt called to do, and when the going got tough they had to find courage in the same way we do.  You may be surprised to learn that their experiences and ours are eerily similar.

The Pilgrims sailed in small (60 ft. long) sailing ships, their quarters were cramped and there were no luxuries.  For many, pursuing their destiny, moving forward has required them to downsize their lives, go without past luxuries and for a time, letting life be more Spartan than before.

The Pilgrims experienced furious storms at sea.  For some of us, we too have experienced our own form of storms (setbacks) as we set out to fulfill our passions.

The Pilgrims were abused by the ships crews.  We also sometimes face abuse from friends and family who do not understand why we are heading in new directions different from theirs.  Also, some face opposition to their mission because it removes power from an entity that wants to control the same people they are trying to help.

The Pilgrims voyage took longer than expected and because of that their supplies we depleted.  Most who set out to fulfill their destiny find that it takes longer than expected to get from point “a” to point “b.”  Sometimes, like their Pilgrim counterparts, resources (usually time or money) become tight along the way.

The Pilgrims, once in the “new world,” experienced a lack of comfort, had few friends and experienced numerous dangers.  Those seeking a meaningful life many times experience a similar fate.  That is why I always encourage people to never “go it alone,” but to partner with others who share their same vision.

With all this difficulty and hardship you would think that the Pilgrims would have chartered the next boat east.  Surely like the soldier mention earlier, they must have said in a dark moment, “What have I gotten myself in to!” But they did not run.  Oh, they were scared at times but even more than that they were courageous.  They possessed that same courage that rises up in those who pursue their purposes.  You see, we really are like the Pilgrims.

Don’t Accept Average
For many years the picture that hung on my living room wall had a centering effect on me as I contemplated the courage of that young Pilgrim couple.  Many people today simply want to prolong their lives rather than try to find their purpose in life. Certainly, medical science is helping them live longer. What is sad, however, is that these people add years to their lives, but not life to their years.  Should our primary goal be to prolong our lives, or should it be to live life to its fullest?  Whether we are 20 or 80 everyone has a purpose to live out.

We may not wear funny coats and hats, but those who pursue their destiny are all Pilgrims.  Just like them, most of what we learn in life comes about from a “baptism by fire.”  Life can be full of hardship especially when we live our life for the sake of others.  Courage is the only way forward and it is courage that makes people pursuing their life purposes most like the Pilgrims. 

 

Affirm Those Around You

Endear Yourself to Your Spouse

I like small decorative hinged boxes.  One such box is open and has cards and notes from my wife to me.  It is in constant view of my desk.  I place each new card in front of the last.  As I look at it now I see the words, “When I think of you…”

There is nothing more personal that we can do for our most important partner in life then to affirm them in writing.  It is really simple to do.  If they take their lunch to work, have you ever slipped in a warm note to surprise them later?  A card on their pillow is a great way to end their day.  Also, a note in a suitcase will encourage them when they travel. 

Children Love It

Children love to receive handwritten communication as well.  I remember a time when I was separated from my kids and I would write them cards telling them that I was thinking about them.  There were also occasions when I praised them for a particular character quality or acknowledged a special accomplishment. The handwritten note increased the impact of my affirmation.

Handwritten communication is a powerful tool.  It is:

1. Personal.  It is direct, requires no intervention of another, and separates you out from all others.
2. Purposeful.  There is nothing ambiguous about a written note.  It is totally intentional.  The person delivering the message is “all in” concerning the relationship.
3. Perpetual.  Personal written communication lives on long after it is delivered. It stays fresh, you can reread it, relive it and it is never lost.

Who can you reach out to today with a handwritten greeting, comment or encouragement?  My suggestion is that you start with family, then friends and finally coworkers.  You afirmation will blow them away!

An Affirming Boss

Affirming people through thoughtful handwritten communication is such a powerful and effective tool for relating to one another. I once had a boss who kept a stack of note cards in his desk and regularly wrote notes to thank his employees. The one I received motivated me to do the same for those who reported to me. The impact was huge. It was far greater then if I had sent them an email with the same words. 

Ralph Marston puts it this way, "Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you'll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you'll find that you have more of it."

Something Really Unexpected

I recently had a wonderful experience with the power of a handwritten note.  Late last year I had to have eye surgery.  While in many ways it was routine, I was a bit freaked out as it was “eye” surgery.  I took great pains to select a competent surgeon.  I primarily used internet resources to gain a sense of his competence.  Well, the day came, and thankfully everything went well.  Now my vision is significantly improved.

Several weeks later a small envelope appeared in our mailbox with the surgeons return address on it.  I assumed it was the bill, but when I opened it my jaw dropped.  It was a handwritten note thanking me for choosing him as my doctor.  I was dumbfounded.  If your experience with medicine has been anything like mine, communication from a doctor or hospital is usually “you still owe us money.” (That came later.) Not once, in more then 50 years, have I received a personal note from a doctor.  His handwritten note had a huge impact.  Now, even more, I will recommend him to anyone I know who has an eye issue.
 

Success and Failure are Inseparable 

C.S Lewis wrote that, “Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.”  A fingerpost is a post bearing one or more signs, often terminating in a pointing finger.  Our failures are finger posts.  They provide needed direction and increase our understanding or knowledge.  So failure really is a guide and a gateway to success. 

As you move forwarding in pursuit of your prize, keep these five realities in mind:

1. Failure increases empathy
2. It is not about other people, you own it
3. Heat assures the outcome
4. Prepare for the recoil 
5. Success and failure are inseparable

Always Fail-Forward

I have never fired a gun but I have observed that for a first-timer the biggest thing they experience is the recoil from the blast. Frankly, it can be painful if they don’t hold the weapon properly. Failure has its own recoil experience. Shock and fear are the most common expressions. We feel shock because we didn’t anticipate that we would fail and fear because pain makes us want to avoid that feeling in the future.  Benjamin Franklin’s advice, “Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.”  When we fail we must not recoil, but instead fail-forward.

The Heat of Failure Assures the Outcome

My sister-in-law is a sculptor. She can take a piece of clay and fashion it into a dynamic object. She first shapes the clay into the object she envisions and then puts it in a 2400 degree oven to strengthen her creation. Failing in life has similar properties.

When we fail we need to take the heat and ask ourselves hard questions so we can improve the next time we set out. Three questions I ask of myself are:

• Did I really give all the effort I could have?
• Did I seek the advice of experts?
• Did I disregard a nagging caution?

In the words of Bill Gates, “Its fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”

Failure Increases Empathy 

Failure has been called “The Great Teacher.”  One of the greatest benefits of failure is that it teaches us empathy.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer, when he was imprisoned by the Nazi’s wrote, “We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer.”  Failure gives us more empathy for others who have experienced similar setbacks.   In the form of an equation it would look like this: Humility + Compassion = Empathy.

Have you noticed that most people are not naturally humble and compassionate?  These qualities either have to be modeled to us as we grow up or else we learn them the hard way.

When I was younger I was neither humble nor compassionate.  In those early days my co-workers had two nicknames for me, “steamroller” and “gundalateral.”  I was “steamroller” because I could get things done fast but failed to take into consideration the people who were unfortunate enough to be in my path.  I was “gundalateral” because I thought I knew what was best and didn’t seek the opinion of others.  It was one of my first bosses that gave me that name.  It was later that I learned the hard way, through a series of failures, to be empathetic.

You Can Be a
Famous Failure

He blew up his laboratory and his brother in his quest to develop dynamite. That was one of Albert Nobel’s (most famous for the Nobel Prize) less stellar moments.  I bet you have experienced failure, as well. Aren’t you glad that you did not blow up your brother in the process?

Failure is just a part of life and the world is filled with famous failures.  Here are several examples:

• He was not able to speak until he was almost four years old and his teachers said, “He will never amount to much.” – Albert Einstein

• He was fired from a newspaper for “lacking imagination” and “having no original ideas.” – Walt Disney

• She was demoted from her job as a news anchor because “she wasn’t fit for television.” – Oprah Winfrey

• They were rejected by the largest music distributers of their day.  The recording studio said, “We don’t like their sound – they have no future in show business.” – The Beatles

• At the age of 30 he was depressed, having been fired as the head of company he had started. – Steve Jobs

• After being cut from his high school basketball team he went home locked himself in his room and cried. – Michael Jordan

Nehemiah’s Vision

We can learn much about vision from a study of Nehemiah, the fifth century high official in the Persian court of King Artaxerxes I.  His vision was for the city of Jerusalem; which during its history was destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times.  Nehemiah’s story has at its core every element related to vision.   He envisioned rebuilding the wall surrounding the city that had been destroyed by an invader and left in shambles by apathetic citizens.  In the Book of Nehemiah we see: 

• Vision Formed – he was compelled to rebuild the wall.
• Vision Shared – he asked the king for permission to do so.
• Vision Acted On – he organized others to help him in the task.
• Vision Resisted – the “good old boy” network mocked him and tried to stop him.
• Vision Completed – Jerusalem’s wall stood once again.

So, what is your vision?  What do you see?  What do you think about that could be or should be?”  Before you make any plans spend time seeking vision. 

Your Vision will be Challenged
 
I have seen all too frequently people with vision face serious opposition.  Vision has a way of making controlling people nervous and insecure people angry.  You may remember 15-year old Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenager shot in the head by the Taliban, for promoting “Western thinking.”  Thankfully she recovered and has remained a courageously advocate.

She is not alone. Only a few hundred years before scientists were threatened with retribution, even death, for envisioning “ridiculous” things like the earth being round, and that the sun was at the center of our solar system.  Author Chuck Swindoll asserts, “You haven’t really led until you have become familiar with the stinging barbs of the critic. For the leader, opposition is inevitable.”
 

How to Practice Vision

When I coach business people and individuals on the importance of vision, I tell them to start their visionary thoughts with the words “I see…” “I see…” statements are followed by vision thoughts that are:Intense – vision invokes strong feelings.

• Personal – vision is unique to the one envisioning.

• Vivid – vision often takes on the properties of a mental picture.

• Passionate – vision is something that we must do. 

Stepping back and contemplating vision has birthed businesses, started great philanthropic works and helped people like you and I understand our own personal life mission. Jonathan Swift wrote “Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.” I have found this process to be nothing short of POWERFUL!

Beginning to Dream

Michael Hyatt wrote an article describing his journey of taking a struggling company from an “ash heap” to a place of success. He acknowledges his natural bent to think too small. He says, “Through the years, I had learned that if you think about strategy (the “how”) too early, it will actually inhibit your vision (the “what”) and block you from thinking as big as you need to think.”… “The problem is that people get stuck on the how. They don’t see how they could accomplish more, so they throttle back their vision, convinced that they must be “realistic.” Taking Hyatt’s advice, to dream big we need to discipline ourselves to focus more on the “what” instead of the “how.” The level of discipline to do so varies from person to person depending on their personality type. As an example, I have to be very disciplined because I am a strategic thinker. I have to resist the temptation to jump prematurely to strategy. People with personalities different from mine find it easier to focus on the “what” and avoid jumping to the “how.”

What Do You See?

Vision is a picture of what we believe the future will look like.  It is a reality that we anticipate and a belief about what should be.  While I have led organizations and individuals through the steps of strategic planning for some time, the issue of vision is a more recent discovery for me. I have learned that while an organization or person may have a plan for success, if I have them place a greater focus on vision, their strategy becomes better and they are more successful.

Commit to Reflect and Reward

Once the task is completed, stop and observe what has been accomplished.  Take some time to enjoy the “fruits of your labor.”  Allow yourself to feel a sense of triumph and pride.

Next, evaluate what you have learned and decide what you will do differently next time.  Conducting a postmortem will improve your future performance.

Finally, what was the nice thing you had planned to do to reward yourself, your family or your team?  This “reward time” is where you celebrate the great work done by all.  Having a reward planned before you at the start is also useful throughout the process to provide motivation and encouragement when things are not going well.

Commit to Plan a Strategy and Set "Time Frame" Goals

The strategy is best planned with the participation of everyone who will be involved in the project.  Write down the steps necessary to be successful and identify who will be responsible for each part.   

Determine a completion date for every component of the project.  Remember that some dates established at the beginning of the project will be unattainable and will need to be adjusted.

A strategy not only requires deadlines but also interim dates for progress checks. Establish predetermined interim points along the way to evaluate progress. Be ready to make changes.  Always be focused as well as flexible as you will inevitably face obstacles and delays.

 

It Starts With A Commitment

To prevail means “to be greater in strength and influence.”  While many of us ultimately rely on a strength greater than ourselves, success still calls for an unqualified personal dedication and determination. Don’t start anything significant unless you are committed to prevailing. Too much will have been invested and too many lives involved for you to turn back.
 
Prevailing also requires a commitment of time and energy.  The reality is that most ventures require more time and energy than anticipated.  To prevail means that we will invest the time, no matter how much it takes, to reach the goal.
 
Remember also that in order to prevail, what we are doing must be in agreement with our personal values. The benefit of succeeding must be meaningful to you, and if you are leading a group, to those that labor with you.  Ask yourself and those you will be relying upon whether life will be better as a result.  You must believe that the benefit is worth the cost.

Facing Our Oceans

"That is where the explorer Vasco de Gama learned to sail.”  My friend told me that as we looked down on a small sandy bay filled with colorful fishing boats in Sines, Portugal. Later that day, we traveled north to Lisbon where the Sea Discoveries Monument honors the voyagers who, 500 years earlier, departed Lisbon harbor and set-out in search of places no European had ever been before.
 
No other professional has faced more risk and uncertainty then an explorer.  Considering what these travelers faced can give us insight for our own challenges. So what were the obstacles faced by Columbus, de Gama and the other explorers?
 
We all sometimes feel like a small ship on a big ocean.  Columbus’s favorite ship Nina was only 65 feet long. That’s only a few feet more than the distance from home plate to a pitcher’s mound.  Columbus also faced some significant obstacles:

• Not enough money. If not for the King and Queen of Spain, Columbus’s journey would never have happened.
• Lack of provisions.  An explorer's first expenses went toward obtaining ships and crew.  Whatever was left was used to purchase food and drink.
• No maps.  That’s right…nobody had ever been there before.
• Productivity lost to sickness.  Cramped quarters were stressful and promoted a breeding ground for disease.
• A frightened crew asking questions like, "So Captain, since you’ve never been there, how will you know your at the right place when you see it?”
• Crew revolt.  Months of not seeing the fruits of success made for tense times to say the least. Mutinies or near insurrections were not uncommon.

Each of the obstacles that were faced by these voyagers parallels the challenges we encounter in our personal life planning, starting new ventures or growing an existing organization.

Good Leaders Value People

Good Leaders Value People

Barry-Wehmiller Companies, Inc. is a global supplier of manufacturing technology. At the beginning of “the great recession” in 2008 they saw their orders fall by almost one-third. They contemplated layoffs but instead decided to institute a furlough program so that no one lost their job but everyone “participated in the suffering.” They acted like a family, not an institution. A look at one sentence in their statement of values sums it up when it says, "We measure success by the way we touch the lives of people."

Fair and sometimes heroic actions, during a crisis, result from a strong belief system. That is the essence of great leadership. Danger may be all around, however, people are safe. In the words of Robert Townsend, who transformed Avis into a rental car giant, “True leadership must be for the benefit of the followers, not the enrichment of the leaders. A leader is … someone who carries water for his people so that they can get on with their jobs.”

Leadership is Action

Leadership is an Attitude Not a Position

We need to understand that leadership is more about attitude and perspective than position.  Stephen R. Covey writes, “Most people think of leadership as a position and therefore don't see themselves as leaders.”  Broadcast industry executive Donald H. McGannon, provides greater focus when he when he defines leadership as ”… action, not position.”

Some of the most compelling examples of leadership take place in many of war’s most brutal theaters.  A 2013 CBS News report describes the actions of Army Captain Will Swenson, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Afghanistan.  This is what they reported from their interview with Sargent Kevin Duerst, crew chief of a medevac helicopter:

Sargent First Class Kenneth Westbrook had been hit in the throat and was bleeding to death. Swenson and a medic helped Westbrook into the helicopter. Then, amid the hell of combat, something beautiful happened.  "Sargent Westbrook kind of leaned down and Captain Swenson kind of leaned down and they had, they kind of looked at each other and it appeared that they were talking, but Captain Swenson kissed him on the forehead and then tapped the side of his head," Duerst said.

Later that day, as Duerst and his crew flew in for more wounded soldiers, they observed Swenson under enemy fire aiding wounded Afghan soldiers and searching for four missing Americans.  His final act that day was going forward under fire and recovering the bodies of the four missing Americans.  Swenson leadership was not because of his position but because of his attitude and his values.  It was the right thing and he had to do it.  

Eight steps to great Communication. (A review)

No matter if your audience of one or thousands, or whether your communication is spoken or written, use these principles so that your message is received and remembered. 

1. Know your audience.
2. Balance what you have to say with what they want to hear.
3. Use simple language.
4. Strategically decide whether to write or speak your message.
5. Share personal anecdotes and illustrations.
6. Start strong and end with emotion.
7. Preview, present and recap your message.
8. Use word pictures or other visuals to make it memorable.

Doing so will help achieve your desired result: message received and understood. 

Tell them, Tell them, Tell them.

A savvy public speaker once shared his formula for effective communication with me.  He said, “Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them you told them.”  In other words: 

• Preview the message: 

Summarize what you have to say and why it is important.

• Present the message: 

Give the body or details of your message.

• Recap the message: 

Briefly repeat your message and restate its importance.

Repetition is critical to effective communication because, even though we have two ears, we still miss a lot.

Knock Their Socks Off

Begin Communication Strongly and End with Emotion. 

Jump in with both feet with your first words.  It’s o.k. to appear totally sold-out to your message. Enthusiasm demands attention. Don’t worry if you appear a little fanatical.  Remember, a fanatic is only someone who believes in something a little more strongly then you do.  The reason people respond to such passion is because much of life is so predictable and mundane. Make them feel alive!  Oh, they may think you’re a little nuts -- but that never stopped me.

As you close your talk or write the last paragraph speak from your heart.  Tell them why this is so important to you.  Tell them why this is the right action and why you are committed to it no matter what it takes.  Let them know how you feel, why it is worth taking the risk and how things will be better.  Your passion and emotion will motivate your audience to action.  
 

Great Communication

Share Personal Antidotes and Illustrations. 

If you want to get the attention of an audience and hold their attention, then tell a story. Storytelling is the most powerful means of communication known to man because it’s personal and memorable.  

Storytelling was critical before people could read and write. It is still runs deep in our DNA. Similar to storytelling, sharing a personal antidote or illustration can also engage an audience. This can endear you to the listener because it makes you more real. The listener thinks, “He’s just like me.”  

Whether storytelling, sharing antidotes or illustrations, the result is that the audience’s defenses go down; their attention goes up and they will absorb more of your communication.

"Look at any great enterprise and invariably its mission drives its strategy, not the other way around. And it all starts with a story."  Greg Satell

What is the best way to communicate?

Should what you have to say be delivered in person or through a letter, text or email? 

It is best to communicate in-person when you are trying to persuade, when you want an immediate indication of response, when you are praising performance or when dealing with a matter of discipline.   
 
It is best to communicate in writing when you have a complicated matter to present, when the audience will need time for evaluation, when you are setting policy, or when an in-person meeting is impossible.
 
No matter if we have an audience of one or thousands, whether our communication is spoken or written, take care in how you communicate so our message is received.  It is critical to know the audience, balance what we have to say with what they want to hear, use simple language and use the right method of communication. Doing so will help achieve our desired result: Message Received and Understood.

Communication

Use Simple Language

Why do we use big words?  Do they make us feel smart?  Do they cover-up insecurity?  Whatever the reason, using complicated language to demonstrate competence is our enemy.  It is a certain way to lose the audience’s attention.  Here are three things to keep in mind when considering which words to use.

• Big words are out. All great speeches, advertisements and modern persuasive writing use common everyday language.
• An audience adores someone who can make something complicated seem very simple.  If you have a complex or technical message to communicate first try it out on the most junior person you can to evaluate if it communicates.
• Get to the main point fast.  If you don’t, you’ll lose your audience. 

Balance What You Have to Say with What They Want to Hear.

I was running a publishing company when a mentor told me “George, communication occurs when you balance what you want to say with what the audience wants to hear.”   He was pointing out the problem that when we prepare for a one-on-one meeting, a speech, or written communication we tend to focus on what we want to say and what we want the receiver to do - to the exclusion of considering their needs.   
 
Your message will fail if you neglect to take into account the needs of the reader or listener.  Ask yourself: what are their needs and what is it that would make them more successful?  Put yourself in their shoes and consider: how does the message sound, what’s in it for them, how does it improve their life and how are they inspired?   Consider testing the message on a select few just in case you have missed something that could derail you.  

COMMUNICATION Know Your Audience.

COMMUNICATION
Know Your Audience.

Do you know your audience?  Really?  Who are the key people you want to persuade?  Have you had casual conversation to assess their temperature before rolling out your message? Have you investigated their needs?  Do you know the condition of their personal lives?  All of these questions and more are critical to being an effective communicator.

Haven’t you been on the receiving end of an ill-researched message that you either did not or would not receive?  How about the business owner who, due to tough economic timed, has to cut his employees pay and a few days later asks his employees for donations to a pet charity.  Consider an employee whose boss asks her to take on greater responsibility and work extra hours without considering that she is going through a divorce and dealing with a serious physical situation. In each case, the one who had something to say did not know the needs and condition of their audience.  Not only did they not achieve their objective, but their insensitivity likely damaged his audience.

Before we communicate, we must do the work necessary to know our audience.  Test the water first by talking over your message with someone you trust.  They may have insight to some of the sensitivities of the audience.

Great Leaders have a Coach and a Strategic Plan

We only grow when we are challenged by people more experienced than we are.  This kind of outside mentoring increases our competence. Whether through a trade or professional association, consultant, management coach, or simply having the input of someone more experienced, great leaders seek the advice of experts so that they can be their best.  This view from the outside helps us see more clearly and increase our impact.

Great leaders work from a written strategic plan no matter how small the task.  They constantly measure their progress in achieving their objectives.  More importantly, they are flexible and adjust the plan as needed.

Great Leaders Give Responsibility and Authority and They Want the Truth

A good leader recognizes that, once responsibility is given, everyone needs the authority and independence to make decisions.  Without authority and a measure of freedom people are typically unsuccessful and become frustrated and discouraged.

Good leaders also what you to tell them the truth, not what they want to hear.  They value the input of their team.  Many times the best ideas and greatest wisdom comes from those working in the trenches.  Great leaders ask their team what they think and take their ideas seriously. 

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."

Winston Churchill