Archives For Skills

Don’t Be THAT Speaker: Tools

15/02/2013 — Leave a comment

In the previous post, on speaking and microphones we looked at how speakers need to work with microphones. If you have not checked it out, I suggest you do. While speaking is the primary medium of communication, a lot more contributes to it. Being a great speaker involves more that just actual speaking but everything else affecting it.

Platform communicators often make the mistake of only focusing on their message in preparation. Do not get me wrong, it is of utmost importance that the platform communicator prepares his message and presentation well, but he must remember that is not the only thing he needs to prepare.

Speakers, like anyone else can deliver better when they understand their tools

6885775414 2e68c74ea5 Dont Be THAT Speaker: Tools

every speaker must give attention to his message AND his tools for optimum delivery || image by whatleydude | cc

 

Slides and Screens

Imagine a mechanic who knows that your car needs an engine overhaul of sort. Would you get worried if the mechanic showed up with a pic and a shovel? Absurd, right? Nothing is as annoying as a speaker that does not know how his tools work. After writing out your message or talk, you might create slides in PowerPoint or, my preference, Keynote.

It is important that you get to know the program you use for your slides fairly well. I mean more than just inserting new slides, text, images and video. Know how to change certain overall editing features in the programs you use. Murphy’s law has it that you will make changes before you talk but may need to make global changes to the slide.

Another thing ensure you know is what screen / display mode you want to use in your computer and how to plug in a secondary monitor or projector to your computer. It is sad that everywhere you are going to speak may not have the expertise. At least learn to set up your own laptop to an external display.

Speaker, ignorance is not bliss, it can easily jeopardize your delivery, shifting focus from what you want people to take away to tools that should be enabling.

If you have your own projector, sound and stand, make sure you know as much as there is to know about them, so that you keep the main the thing main thing: getting your message across.

Remotes

Know your tools. It is distracting when a speaker has to first look at his remote every time he has to advance a slide. It gets worse when he or she looks intently for what feels like eternity. To make it worse it gets in the way of your flow when you make too many comments about your tools when you should be focusing on the message you should be propagating. Do not talk about how weird the remote is, talk about what you there to talk about.

Get your own remote, that you get to know very well if you it is challenge for you to learn new ones in a very short time

If you use say, your phone as a remote, make sure that you have placed it in flight mode so that it does not ring in the middle of your talk. Also, if you need to look at it before you advance slides, try to do so tactfully.

When you speak, your audience’s attention is on you and what you are trying to communicate. When you shift your attention to something else while your audience is focused on you, the message becomes secondary and compromised.

Is It A Bird Or A Plane?

Stop it. Stop looking back at your screen all the time; it makes me wonder what is wrong with it. And I am sure I am not the only one. If you can use your computer in front of you, check the screen from your computer. You can check out the projected screen tactfully as you move across the platform.

And, whatever you do, do not read out the slide your audience is looking at, word for word. Rather give your audience the notes and walk off stage if the greater part of your presentation is reading out what you have placed on the screen they are looking at.

When a speaker gives a lot of attention to the projected screen, it becomes the center of attention and not his message

If you are not using a microphone looking back as you speak negatively affects your audibility. Never give your audience your back when you are not using a microphone, instead pause from speaking and continue when you are facing your audience.

Bonus:

If you haven’t already, I recommend you also check out:

What annoys you about speakers and their tools? Any advice to help me and other platform communicators?

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In Leadership, Self Leadership, Skills, Social Media , , , , , ,
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The Best Ways To Acknowledge Your Shortcomings

17/12/2012 — 2 Comments

We may say we’re not but act like we are. Perfect, that is. The truth still stands; no one is perfect. Everyone generally accepts this for everybody else except when they feel violated by others. Worse, still, when it is a leader that has failed. Whether you’re a leader in particular context or a part of a team being led, you’re aware of the shortcomings of those you serve with and those whose supervision you serve under. In the context of relationships, outside of organizations, say friends and family, you’re aware of shortcomings those you share your life with.

The closer we get to people, the more aware of their shortcomings we are. On the same note, the closer people get to us the more aware they become of our flaws.The closer leaders are to us the more aware we are of their shortcomings. It is never an easy thing to have your shortcomings held up to you. Some people push back as they feel condemned and humiliated. Others simply view feedback on their shortcomings as opportunities of growth.

 

7464430946 79550ac7f9 z The Best Ways To Acknowledge Your Shortcomings

we all fall short somehow, acknowledging shortcomings does not take away from you but give you more credibility & creates growth opportunities || image by ingridtaylar | cc

Honest

 

The cornerstone of acknowledging any shortcomings is simply being honest about them. Credibility is often lost when we try to deny or cover up shortcomings. Denying our shortcomings is like Pinocchio denying that he just told a lie, while his nose grows in full view of himself and those around him.

The evidence of denying shortcomings is often an overcompensation in areas of shortcomings that make the shortcomings more obvious.

Those who get ruthlessly crucified are ones who deny them. Saying you don’t have some shortcomings does not mean you don’t them. Denying your shortcomings does not make them disappear. Not being honest about your shortcomings robs you opportunities of growth.

Responsibility

 

Honesty is only one of the best ways to acknowledge your shortcomings. Responsibility means not only being honest about your shortcomings, but addressing them.  Acknowledge your shortcomings by addressing them. This may include taking extra care in the particular areas. You could people who are stronger than you in the areas of your shortcomings to assist you.

Where restitution is necessary, make right.

Teams, leadership and other relationships fail not because of shortcomings in people but when they do not take any responsibility for them. Accountability and feedback systems are necessary to keep you in check as far as taking responsibility for shortcomings.

Up Front

 

Be open and up front about your shortcomings. This can help manage expectations on you. Not doing so can sow seeds of failure for you in the future. It also takes away the ‘sting’ and embarrassment of having those around you pointing them out. The truth is great, but sometimes painful.

Stating up front areas you are likely to fail tells those around you where they will need to step in and help.

Don’t be that guy. You know, the one who knows he has shortcomings and, when he fails expects everyone to have somehow miraculously have known that he had shortcomings in certain areas. If you’re a leader, or in a team, try to preempt areas you might be needed to deliver that are not areas of strength.

What advice would you give in helping me (and others) acknowledge their shortcomings?

 

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In Ideas, Life, Marriage, Ministry, Productivity, Self Leadership, Skills, Teamwork, Vision , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Why You Must Respect Your Work

15/10/2012 — 14 Comments

Doing something repetitively can be enabling force in getting better at whatever you do. On the other hand, if we are not careful the same repetition can be seeds for apathy. Repetition is not a bad thing in itself; it is how we manage the times of iteration. Apathy is not the only possible fruit of iteration but a loss of respect also. When you are constantly engaged in the same activity it is easy to take what you do for granted.

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respect for your work can be easy to lose; guard your respect for the work you do || image by Henri Photography | cc

The counselor to young people can easily get used to success stories that they rarely move him compared to when he started. The leader can get used delivering results and what is expected of him that he doesn’t see as much value in it as it had earlier. The doctor can take for granted her role to help people get better. Not that the value of what we do gets lost, we just stop recognizing and acknowledging it.

We all need to be reminded that what we do matters. Your leadership matters. Taking care of your household matters. Your work and leadership matter immensely. They could be the difference between life and death for some. What you do can mean the difference between uplifting others or leaving them in the mire of despair. Hope dies when you disrespect your work. The possibility of innovation ceases when you do not respect your work. Humanity needs you to value what you do as a reminder that others matter.

When we have no respect for our work we abuse the resources that are supposed to enable it.

When we stop respecting our work and leadership we trifle with it and give other people the right to do the same. We devalue ourselves. Our work must not be the totality of our (self) worth. However, some of it comes from our ability to positively contribute to something greater. Not respecting our work is synonymous with disrespecting ourselves. We insult others. We must recognize that we are all connected. Our actions, no matter how isolated they may seem have an impact on those around us and many we cannot see. These can include people who are indirectly in the chain of recipients of our work and leadership.

when we have no respect for our work we forfeit the possibility of changing the world in ways we cannot imagine

Respect is necessary for us to value what we do. Understanding value of what we do also feeds respect for our work. It is cycle that perpetuates itself. When you do not respect your own work you will eventually stop respecting the work of others. When you’re constantly throwing stones at other people’s work it might just be that you have stopped respecting your own. We can easily become agents of demeaning value on others and their work.

Do you still have respect for your work? What are some of the instances you’re seen where respect for ones own work has been lost?  

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In Ideas, Leadership, Life, Passion, Productivity, Self Leadership, Skills, Teamwork, Vision , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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The Underrated Problem Solving Tool

28/02/2012 — 1 Comment

Problem solving is a normal part of leadership and life. Challenges are inevitable and how we deal with them always becomes a part of our legacy. People are paid to solve problems. If we act wisely, when we cannot solve them we seek out those who can. We all approach problem solving based on worldview, education, experience and the list goes on. There is often more than one way of solving a particular problem.

If you think about some of the times you were stuck in solving a problem you may discover that you were locked in one line of thought. Many heads are often necessary in solving complex problems. The wise King Solomon also said, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. You cannot have success without solving problems. You can never be a successful leader if your strategy is problem avoidance instead of problem solving. Problems can be success enablers or killers depending on your approach.

sign The Underrated Problem Solving Tool

solutions are sometimes simpler than we think

People often fail in problem solving because they do not have the skill set for the particular problem, lack of resources, pride (in the form of a self sufficiency front). Another reason people fail is that they complicate their approach to the problem. Complex problems can be solved by simple solutions. The sign above is what actually inspired this post. Instead of them making five signs to warn motorists they made one and simply put “X5″ to tell the motorists there are five speed bumps. Putting up one sign like that saved them time and money yet did the job!

We tend to complicate the problem solving process by ignoring the obvious. You may feel stupid but the best place to start solving any problems is by asking the obvious questions. In coming up with the solutions, start by exploring your solutions in a vacuum. What would you do if you had to make the decisions without all the pressure of the moment? Complications arise when you add more pressure in addition to that of the challenge. You may need an inclined plane instead of a crane! Start with the simple things.

In Ideas, Leadership, Life, Productivity, Self Leadership, Skills, Vision , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Learning Effective Communication From Jesus

22/11/2011 — 3 Comments

When I think of some of the greatest communicators, I’d never leave out Jesus. He was so captivating he could get crowds of 5,000 plus (no social media!). I guess the miracles also helped but that wasn’t the sum of why people desired to be in His audience. It’s every communicator’s dream to have a captive audience. When I observe how He communicated there are some communication ‘must dos’. (You can also read ‘Something Communicators Must Never Forget’ here.) Remember: the essence of communication is that the message sent is ultimately perceived by the receiver as intended by the sender…

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communicate1 Learning Effective Communication From Jesus.

  • Why?: When interacting with people, especially from a platform it is easy to fall into the trap of having all the answers. Jesus used questions as one of the means to communicate with people. He obviously knew the answers… One of the best ways to communicate is not through answers but responding with questions.Questions help us realize certain things for ourselves. Engaging questions in the learning process means the learning process is not a one way street. When learners are actively involved in the learning process they will remember more. For leaders, asking your team questions also challenges motives. This is one of the things Jesus used. Questions also help the one (initially) asking in weighing the validity of their questions. Too many leaders ignore the power of rhetoric questions as statements. To enhance your communication, use questions.
  • Like: Jesus also used a lot of imagery. Because of the eagerness to make a point, communicators tend to cut to the heart. Imagery can give greater impact to points you’d like to make. Imagery also needs you to understand the context of your audience. When you employ imagery ensure that you do so with a clear understanding of your audience.
  • Once Upon A Time: Stories are a great way to challenge people or issues without coming across as being ‘too in your face’. Stories are a great way to capture and keep attention. Capturing and maintaining your audience’s attention is necessary for effective communication. Communication that doesn’t engage the ‘listeners’ imagination will not have any hooks to enable ‘sticky learning’.
  • Pitch: Jesus always understood His audience & pitched his communication accordingly. Key to effective communication is understanding your audience. Do your best to understand your audience before (what) settling on how to communicate!
  • Build: Don’t just dunk ‘the point’ on your audience. Effective communicators build their points to stand. For your point to carry weight and stand, it must be built on a solid foundation. The build up to your point will determine its impact. Validate the importance of what you’re about to communicate.
  • To The Heart: Jesus communicated to the heart of issues. He dealt with peripheral issues that stood in the way. Communication can be hindered when we make peripheral issues weightier than the core of what we’d like to communicate.
  • Bonus: Jesus never wasted opportunities to communicate something of significance. Every ‘platform’ you get as a communicator or leader must be valued and maximized. Some leaders leave communication for emails, platforms or few media and underestimate the power of a few seconds at the coffee pot or in an elevator.  Use every object lesson you can find. Don’t wait for a big audience and a microphone to communicate important truths or values in your organization. Use each opportunity wisely.

 What would you add? What do you feel you need to use more of in your communication?

illustration by TORLEY, flickr (cc)
In Skills , , , , , , ,
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