Injustice

 To Tell the Truth 

I remember the first time I experienced injustice.  It was when the grumpy old man at the end of my boyhood street accused me of throwing a rock at his house.  It seems that a few of the neighbor kids has committed the heinous act and conspired to blame it on me.  When he accused me I felt indignation such as I had never experienced.  I had received injustice!
 
Superman was known for his mantra “truth, justice and the American way.”  Let’s be “super people” and known as lovers of truth and justice and let’s demonstrate that to those near us.  We also should be known as people who give others the benefit of the doubt because sometimes we don’t know or can’t get all the facts. 

 

"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please." Mark Twain

Watch Your Mouth

 Moderation

Have you ever had lunch with someone you want to get to know and they spend the whole meal talking about themselves and their accomplishments? 

If you are like me, you wanted to learn about their life but you wanted them to learn about yours too.  Boasting, bragging or monopolizing in conversation is a relationship killer.

A good test as to whether there is moderation in your conversation is to look to see who has eaten the most food.  If your plate is much fuller then your guests, then you are talking too much and asking too few questions.

My father had a great, if not a bit raunchy, term for people that talked too much.  He called it “diarrhea of the mouth.” On this matter John Wayne had great advice for managing our speech.  He said, "Talk low, talk slow and don't say too much."
 

"Talk low, talk slow and don't say too much."  John Wayne

Celebration Isn't Just For Holidays

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.

 

"While we are living in the present, we must celebrate life every day, knowing that we are becoming history with every work, every action, every deed."  Mattie Stepanek

 

Random Acts of Kindness

 Kindness

Few of us are downright 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 myself 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. 

 

"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." Mark Twain

 

What the World Needs Now is Patience

 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.

 

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Put it in Writing

 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.  Your affirmation will blow them away!

 

"Letters are among the most significant memorial a person can leave behind them."  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Power of the Pen

 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 than if I had sent them an email with the same words. 

 

"Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return."  Ralph Marston

Practice Your Penmanship

 Something Really Unexpected

I recently had a wonderful experience with the power of a handwritten note.  Recently 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 my life 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.

Not a text, not an email but an old fashioned handwritten note.  Journalist and humorist Willie Geist once wrote, "I'm pretty sure people are going to start writing letters again once the email fad passes."  We know now that that didn’t happen; in-fact the email gave way to the text.  If you want to communicate with impact, try writing a handwritten note and see if you don’t become a believer.

"I'm pretty sure people are going to start writing letters again once the email fad passes."  Willie Geist

 

Success and Failure Go Together

 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

Can You Take The Heat?

 Heat 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, “It's fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”

 

Failure Makes You More Likeable

 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.

 

"When you show deep empathy toward others, their defensive energy goes down, and positive energy replaces it. That's when you can get more creative in solving problems."  Stephen Covey

 

Failure is not Fatal

 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

Failure is really not “the end” although it can feel like it.  You can be a famous failure!

 

 

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."  Winston Churchill

Fifth Century Visioneering

 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. 

 

“Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.”  Jack Welch

Risky Business

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.”

 

"Failed plans should not be interpreted as a failed vision. Visions don't change, they are only refined. Plans rarely stay the same, and are scrapped or adjusted as needed. Be stubborn about the vision, but flexible with your plan."  John C. Maxwell

  

Practicing Vision

 How to Practice Vision

 
When I coach organizations 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!

 

"Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion." Jack Welch

Reach for the Stars

 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 must 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.”

 

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."  Harriet Tubman

Leadership's First Task

 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.

 

"Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality."  Warren Bennis

 

That Thing We Forget to Do

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 in advance is also useful throughout the process to provide motivation and encouragement especially when things are not going well.

 

"It's important to celebrate your failures as much as your successes. If you celebrate your failures really well, and if you get to the motto and say, 'Wow, I failed, I tried, I was wrong, I learned something,' then you realize you have no fear, and when your fear goes away, you can move the world." Sebastian Thrun

  

Not Risking is a Big Risk

 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.

"The biggest risk is not taking any risk... In a world that changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks."  Mark Zuckerberg

 

Is It Worth It?

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.

 

 

"If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception; it is a prevailing attitude.  Colin Powell

  

Navigating Your Seas

 Facing Our Own Ocean

"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 you're 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.

 

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” – Henry Ford

 

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 not about your ambition. It is about bringing out the ambitions of your team.” 

Cheryl Bachelder 

Principled Leadership

 Lead from a Principled Heart

The best leadership comes from a principled heart.  Principles are our moral beliefs about right and wrong.  A good leader must base his actions on something bigger than himself.  To do that he or she must take time to determine their values. 
 
Values are simply the things you value ...  those things and attributes that “must be.”  Here are some examples:

• Dependability 
• Reliability 
• Loyalty 
• Commitment 
• Open-mindedness 
• Consistency 
• Honesty 
• Efficiency 
• Innovation 
• Creativity 
• Good humor 
• Compassion 
• Spirit of adventure 
• Motivation 
• Positivity 
• Optimism 
• Passion 
• Respect 
• Fitness 
• Courage 
• Education 
• Perseverance 
• Patriotism 
• Service to others 
• Environmentalism 

Values are a heart attitude that is the most fundamental definition of who we are and what we believe.  If you have not already done so make a list of your values, put that list in a prominent place and refer to it often. 
 

 

“Leadership is much more an art, a belief, a condition of the heart, than a set of things to do. The visible signs of artful leadership are expressed, ultimately, in its practice.” 

The Attitude of Leadership

 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.  

 

"Remarkable contributions are typically spawned by a passionate commitment to transcendent values such as beauty, truth, wisdom, justice, charity, fidelity, joy, courage and honor." Gary Hamel

 

What Makes Communication Great?

 Eight Steps to Great Communication.      

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 want 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. 

 

"The greatest problem with communication is we don’t listen to understand. We listen to reply."  Roy T. Bennett

 

Will You Be Remembered?

 Make it Memorable.  

One of the best ways to help people remember your message is through using a word picture.  Winston Churchill did this when he described a communist world that lay behind an “iron curtain.” Hillary Clinton speculated about a “vast, right-wing conspiracy.”  President George W. Bush spoke of an “axis of evil.”   Word pictures are effective because they grab and direct attention and lock thoughts into our memory.  A call to action can be greatly enhanced by the creative use of a word picture. 
 
Other visual devices are also effective in helping us communicate.  An often repeated statistic states that: people remember 40% of what they hear and see, 30% of what they see, 20% of what they hear, and only 10% of what they read. Always reinforce your spoken or written message with something that evokes a mental memory, either through a word picture or a visual image.

 

"Take advantage of every opportunity to practice your communication skills so that when important occasions arise, you will have the gift, the style, the sharpness, the clarity, and the emotions to affect other people. Jim Rohn

 

Preview, Present and Recap

 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.

 

 

"The art of communication is the language of leadership."  James Humes

How To Get Your Message Across

 Begin Strongly and End with Emotion. 

When you communicate, 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 than 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.  

 

"Good communication is just as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after."  Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Powerful Storytelling

Share Personal Anecdotes 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 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 anecdotes 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 

Best Communication Method

 Use the Right Method of Communication

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

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.

 

"People will appreciate your thoughtful means of communication, and will be more likely to respond positively to you."  Alison Doyle

Keep Communication Simple

 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. 

 

"Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say 'infinitely' when you mean 'very'; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite."  C. S. Lewis

 

Do You Know What Your Audience Needs?

 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.  

 

"The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said.” Peter Drucker

 

Did You Read the Room?

 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 times, 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.   
           

"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." George Bernard Shaw