How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work

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Posted by Ben Decker | March 28, 2013 | 0 Comments | Tweet this

Pro Con List
It’s something we all strive to do – make better choices.

So much of the work we do at Decker focuses on helping others make better choices. We help people be more influential when they communicate their ideas. And an important part of being more influential comes from understanding how decisions are made.

When I learned that our partners from Decker Made to Stick Messaging, Chip Heath and Dan Heath (the bestselling authors of Made to Stick and Switch), decided to co-author a book about decision-making, my curiosity was piqued.

Many of us – myself included – have relied on the tried and true model of “The Pro/Con List” when making a big decision. The roots of this method can be traced all the way back to Benjamin Franklin. The Heath brothers challenge the idea that the best decision comes from this process of weighing the pros and the cons.

Instead, they present an alternative, more omniscient process for making decisions. Their process helps us overcome our own narrow frame, emotions and self-serving objectives. It also helps us prepare to live with these decisions by examining the best and worst case scenarios.

Their new book Decisive outlines this decision-making process in a straight-forward, four-step process using the acronym WRAP:

          Widen your options

          Reality-test your assumptions

          Attain distance before deciding

          Prepare to be wrong

Look out, list-makers, this process is a game changer.

We all make important decisions. Hiring, purchasing, partnering, firing, even jury duty – all of these choices stand to improve using this new, yet simple, framework.

The WRAP process removes our blinders and our biases.

Decisive (released this week) is poised to become the next business bestseller  – and it’s no wonder why.

Decisive How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work

Video Blog: Gary Vaynerchuk knows influence

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Posted by Ben Decker | April 6, 2011 | 5 Comments | Tweet this

It’s gotten easy to sit behind a computer and communicate, but we know that in order to influence change, to motivate others, to connect with people — we have to get in front of them. I had the chance to see Gary Vaynerchuk at a book signing this morning (practically at sunrise!) where he pitched not only The Thank You Economy, but taking that next step to engage with others.

Check out the latest video blog with tips and takeaways from my experience with Gary.

It’s Wednesday. What can you do before the end of the week to engage with others? Do a video conference instead of a call (iChat or Skype will do it)? Send a 2 minute video instead of a memo?

Does your message stick?

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Posted by Ben Decker | October 20, 2009 | 1 Comment | Tweet this

I’m thrilled to introduce @MeredithGood, one of our newest team members brought on to do program development and marketing.  She’ll be contributing to the blog from now on, starting today!

In true Decker form, we videotaped the entire Decker Made To Stick Messaging debut program so we could (what else?) give ourselves feedback!  Several participants gave us feedback, too, so we can continuously improve and evolve.  With all this video lying around, @MeredithGood put together a short testimonial (for kicks!) to give you a sense of what Decker Made To Stick Messaging is all about.

What are you waiting for? Get in on the action and register for December 2nd! Hope to see you soon.

Nancy Duarte, and the power of Twitter

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Posted by Bert Decker | November 16, 2008 | 2 Comments | Tweet this

Yesterday was a lazy Saturday morning, and I was checking my iPhone in bed. There was a Twitter from Nancy Duarte Tweeting that she was speaking at the Apple Store in San Francisco, so I turned to my wife, Dru Scott Decker, and said, “Want to go?” This would be a chance for me to see Nancy, show the power of Twitter (which I’m still experimenting with), and also use my new Flip Video that was still in it’s box! And Dru, also a best selling author who loves Nancy’s book Slide:ology said “Yes – love to.”

Nancy Duarte at Apple Store

So the Flip Video came out – and it works great for a very small (iPod size) video camera of adequate quality that you can immediately edit and put up on YouTube. Here’s an example – my first shot.

And Nancy was great – overcoming a lot of background noise and distractions at a busy downtown Apple Store. Here is Nancy with her first key point, on the importance of Telling Great Stories.

She had terrific slides of course, but even moreso was her great content (Dru took some notes as I was busy with Flip Video):

  1. Tell Great Stories – she illustrated with visuals that ALSO told the great stories by themselves.
  2. Reach Beyond Projection – a presentation can be slides – projected, but she told also of the many other varieties, from decks (the written) to on the web, to PDA plus devices – where you can interact, collaborate, and view. In other words, the world of presentation is a new world.
  3. Show Don’t Tell – and here she gave a great example of a Garr Reynolds’ presentation on SlideShare.
  4. Create a Profound Experience – unusual was a chart of visual storytelling that looked for the conflict and resolution. Nancy said to identify those points in a preso where you want people to be conflicted, for conflict generates emotion generates action.

Dru Scott also bought a few more copies of Slide:ology. That deserved an iPhone picture.

The Flip Video was OK, but the quality isn’t great when you have poor sound and a screen as background. For a longer and higher quality view of Nancy, you might try this interview.

Other tidbits:

  • Nancy said to use high quality images – they evoke credibility, and Duarte Design spends over $150,000 a year on images!
  • Nancy Duarte and Garr Reynolds have changed the process of creating and presenting in less than a year with their influence, blogs, and particularly their wonderful and complimentary books Slide:ology and Presentation Zen. Both books are in the top 100 at Amazon already. Amazing.
  • Twitter, Tribes (also in the top 100 at Amazon) and Technology are changing the face of communicating. (At least task and relationship communicating – nothing will ever replace ‘face to face’…)
  • The video revolution continues. Flip Video costs $179 and enables anyone to immediately shoot and edit and be able to use videos in their PowerPoints, blog posts, YouTube or devices. And video is the BEST way to capture emotion to influence to action in a very short time.

Rule of Three – List of Three

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Posted by Bert Decker | November 11, 2008 | 6 Comments | Tweet this

Max Atkinson has a great blog that you will want to visit if you are at all interested in speaking and communications (which is why I assume you are here!) He is the speaking expert from the UK behind “Claptrap”, which is an outstanding movie classic on the use of oratorical devices. Sounds boring, but the 30′ film dramatically takes a woman with moderate education and makes her into a “standing ovation” parliamentary speaker. With Max Atkinson’s help. (Unfortunately the film’s only available in PAL.)

His great post on Barack Obama’s advanced use of alliteration, list of three, and other oratorical devices is not to be missed. Atkinson is a master at coaching and analyzing the written speech. As he mentioned in his email to me, Obama “included 27 three-part lists at a rate of about one every 30 seconds!”

And keep in mind that the “list of three” is not just a device of rhetoric. As a proven principle in physics, it is also used in communicating for

  1. organizing ideas on the spot
  2. creating presentations, and
  3. putting together agendas of any kind

(and a lot of other uses beyond those three.)

It is one of the organizing principles for The Decker Grid, which we use in every program we teach and train. So if you use the Rule Of Three you will be

  1. More prepared,
  2. More persuasive, and
  3. More powerful!

Slide:ology – 20 Years Beyond PowerPoint

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Posted by Bert Decker | September 24, 2008 | 1 Comment | Tweet this

In Nancy Duarte’s first and great book “slide:ology” she shows a vivid timeline of the history of Visual Aids – with PowerPoint dominating since 1987. If she had written this book 20 years ago, perhaps we wouldn’t have the PowerPoint Abuse we have today. Nancy leads us now – and shows us how to create engaging and compelling visual support for our messages. Get her interview here.

I repeat what I said in the forward to her book, “It’s more than slides and design – it’s about communications and inspiration. And this book will help anyone – beginner or top professional – to get to the top of their game.”

Read these good reviews – I couldn’t detail it as well – and then click on Amazon and get the book:

If you scan all these reviews, and don’t get the book, you’re not on the right blog!

And Nancy has a great new blog too.

The Encore Effect

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Posted by Bert Decker | September 15, 2008 | 0 Comments | Tweet this

Wow, what timing to come out this week with the book, “The Encore Effect.” And it already has reached #5 on Amazon’s Business Best Sellers.

A few weeks ago we had Michael Phelps in the Olympics winning race after race, and of course the encores for Barack Obama have launched his campaign for the Presidency, and now the phenomenon of Sarah Palin building one communication experience on another. TV and the internet is filled with remarkable performances. And now we can learn some of the principles to create our own encores.

The author of this great book is my friend and colleague, Mark Sanborn. I’ve known Mark for over 20 years, and this is his best – and he is a very successful thinker, speaker and expert who knows what he is writing (and speaking) about in leadership and performance.

One of a few key elements and a recurring theme:

Passion is the fuel for remarkable performance!

Simple enough, but how do you sustain and repeat that passion?!? Learn it here – it is quick, easy, and will convince you that everyone can achieve an
ENCORE performance in their personal and professional lives.

It’s just out – and you can get it at Amazon or visit Mark’s website. Special bonus Mark is offering – if you submit your receipt to encore@marksanborn.com you will receive a coupon worth $9.97 for your choice of any of the valuable e-books in Mark’s online store. You’ll also get full Access to The Encore Effect Assessment  (a $29.97 value) that will be available through the book’s support site at www.theencoreeffect.com.

The One Minute Entrepreneur

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Posted by Bert Decker | May 4, 2008 | 0 Comments | Tweet this

“The One Minute Entrepreneur” is out, and it’s great. Already it’s been #1 on Amazon’s best seller list (currently #3.) I’d recommend you get online and buy it now, because… well first of all it’s about communicating. And also:

  • It’s excellent, and will inspire you in several ways.
  • It has true stories of important principles and communicating successes.
  • It’s a quick read.

It’s part of the Ken Blanchard “One Minute” series, so you know it will be worthwhile. Even more so, Ken gives us four of the key principles right away in a unique promotion for the book (you might even be able to still get it for free here):

The Four Pillars of Successful Entrepreneurs

  1. Pillar 1: Sales Must Exceed Expenses
  2. Pillar 2: Collect Your Bills
  3. Pillar 3: Take Care of Your Customers
  4. Pillar 4: Take Care of Your People

“The One Minute Entrepreneur” is a story and a fable that is absorbing. It also has immediate take aways for you. And throughout it is infused with the success of a “forward lean,” of speaking out while caring for those you are speaking to. (I love the chapter “Helping People Soar Like Eagles.”)

And also It was written by a very good friend Don Hutson, co-written by a good friend Ken Blanchard, and it is inspired by a very, very good friend Charlie “Tremendous” Jones. All are worth getting to know…

Presentation Zen – An Instant Classic

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Posted by Bert Decker | January 11, 2008 | 3 Comments | Tweet this

Presentation Zen is a new book by Garr Reynolds that should be read by any business presenter, leader, politician, professional… well, by everybody. It’s that good.

This book about presentation design is about much more than that, and I recommend you run right out and get it (or rather log on to Amazon and buy it where it is already, amazingly, in the top 100, and also in its second printing).

This is an outstanding book for YOU for three primary reasons:

1. It is brilliantly written and designed
2. It is a concept book that is about life as well as presenting your ideas
3. It is also a how-to book, and one we will be giving out to our key clients

Read on for the details…

Continue reading →

Ten Questions with Nancy Duarte

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Posted by Bert Decker | November 16, 2007 | 0 Comments | Tweet this

Nancy Duarte has a new book coming out in 2008, and you can be sure it will be innovative. Nancy and her husband Mark run Duarte Design in Silicon Valley, and are more than on the cutting edge of design – they ARE the cutting edge. We’ve talked about their work before, but thought you’d like to get more in depth on the importance of design to our communications and presentations (particularly considering PowerPoint abuse!)

So the Ten Questions for Nancy Duarte:

1. Question: You’ve made a great impact in the design and presentation world. Why is design important in the first place – why not just put out information?

Answer: To most people the words “presentation design” are an oxymoron. In reality presentations should not be delivered without careful thought and planning going into the visual aides. Presentations that are designed well are easy to interpret and give stronger credibility to the presenter. We should design our presentations well for the sake of the audience

2. Question: What is the one most important principle of design?

Answer: Simplicity is by far the most important principle. If visuals aren’t simple, they aren’t clear. We need to guide audiences to where they are supposed to start to process the information and in what order. Many presentations today create visual vertigo by too much complexity, too many visual vantage points and annoying animations. Remove anything that isn’t adding value to the message.

3. Question: Why do you think design is neglected when people put together presentations?

Answer: There are oceans of ugly PowerPoint out there. The bar is set so low in this communication medium that few people have ever even seen a well-developed presentation.  Renowned presenters like Al Gore invest in powerful visuals to tell their story but more importantly they invest extensive time into rehearsing the content so they can use their visual aides effectively.  It takes a tremendous amount of time to pull together a great presentation.

4. Question: You are finishing your first book. Why did you write it?

Answer: I’m writing this book (title in process) as a clarion call or manifesto. Each revolution begins with unrest. The people finally shout “enough” and then someone brave enough to take a stand and have a compelling rally cry changes history. Presentations are scorned by designers, derided by industry luminaries, and abused by companies and individuals. Oh, the unrest is there all right but who is doing anything about it?
I feel at times a bit like William Wallace from Braveheart. This book serves as my grand speech to try to get the troops to press forward. Granted, Wallace was disemboweled at the end (which could happen to our audiences if we don’t change).

5. Question: And of course, what’s the quick summary?

Answer: Over the last fifteen years, professional communications have changed drastically. Presentations are the primary way we communicate. There is a proliferation of presentation software in the workplace, but there are no documented best-practices for how to communicate optimally in this ubiquitous medium.
This is not a how-to book; it’s intended to challenge a presenter’s current approach, thought process and behavior toward developing visual support. It is a blend of conceptual thinking, inspirational design, solid principles, insightful interviews, and many before-and-after examples. It is full of practical approaches to the visual story development process. Most of the existing books about presentations address the digital tools or delivery, but none explain how to apply proven design principles to develop more effective visual aides.

6. Question: Why the Presentation Ecosystem? (See following page for Nancy’s Presentation Ecosystem graphic.)

Answer: I built this presentation ecosystem to begin discussions around all the facets of a presentation and to show their interrelated nature. So many times presenters only put effort into a small subset of what it really takes to pull together a well thought through and designed presentation. When my friend Jim Endicott referred to the presentation development process as a three-legged stool, it made sense—message, visual story and delivery. Ironically, an enormous number of books dedicate themselves to message development and presentation tips, but little information exists on crafting graphically compelling presentations.

7. Question: When you put together the design elements for Al Gore’s Academy Award winning movie “An Inconvenient Truth” (and maybe you can take some credit for the Nobel Peace prize he won?), what was the biggest challenge?

Answer: Working with such a successful thought leader has been very rewarding. He is gracious, open and smart. Many people don’t realize that he still travels around with just as much fiery passion delivering his presentation. The biggest challenge in reality is keeping up with him! His file is close to 600 slides and is translated into eight languages. He’s a busy guy!

8. Question: Who is the best and worst communicator you can think of in this year 2007?

Answer: There isn’t a single communicator that stands out for me which is sad to say during an election year.  One of the best things that has happened for communicators over the last year is that TED has begun to circulate their presentations via the web. Each presenter is a compelling communicator plus they have to constrain their talks to 18 minutes so the messages are rehearsed well and the content is succinct.

9. Question: What’s next for Duarte Design?

Answer: We believe that presentations, when done well, are quickly becoming a much more valuable communication medium.  Many of our clients are beginning to realize that presentations prepared well have an extended reach beyond just the traditional face-to-face delivery methods. Technology has matured to where presentations are being delivered via the web and devices in increasing numbers. We are pushing out presentations on just about any device and just about any web scenario you can dream up. We’re creating video slides, filming presenters on chroma screens, syncing slides with audio, pushing them into virtual worlds and putting them on video iPods, you name it! The options are endless.

10. Question: What’s next for Nancy Duarte?

Answer: As soon as I hit “send” to the publisher I want to take a looooong overdue vacation and sleeeeeep.