We consult and train businesses in communications, in what they say and how they say it. We love what we do because our programs are transformational - we see more focus, confidence and effectiveness every day. We hope these posts will provide some insight on communications, increase your awareness and even boost your impact too. Learn more about us
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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 entireDecker 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.
To criticize used to mean “to give counsel.” Now it too often means to tear down. In the age of instant communicating, we need to pause and think about what true “criticism” really means – feedback.
Without question, praise is the most powerful motivator. I was amazed at the profound meaning a few nice words (that I saw as no big deal) had for someone recently. Yesterday I got this email after I had thanked one of our people: “Wow, Ben. You’re welcome. Thanks for noticing! Means a lot that you said something.” Encouragement is powerful.
I must continually remind myself as I tend to look towards filling that half filled glass. So must we all.
We have a team of Program Leaders that lead various programs around the country and for them to lead an entire Decker Program takes months of training and extensive feedback. That feedback can easily fall into “tweaks” or “constructive criticism.” It is a great reminder that there has to be encouragement with that. Another of our Program Leaders reminded me she still has a note from me stating “Nice Job” on an initial program that she led…from 3 years ago! I don’t remember doing it, but I’m glad I did.
We run into problems as speakers when we don’t take the time to solicit objective feedback. Although I now make my living from professional speaking, it wasn’t so long ago that I should have been paying people to listen to me (and even then might not have packed the house). I didn’t begin changing until I heard myself bumble through a speech on an audio playback. In just three minutes! Unbelievable. This prompted action.
I began seeking all kinds of feedback. There are three basic types, what we call the 3 x 3 Rule.
The 3 x 3 Rule: Pursue and obtain:
3 positive aspects of your presentation
3 areas where you could improve
You apply the 3 x 3 Rule via:
People feedback – in every presentation, ask five people to provide feedback to you according to the the 3 x 3 Rule.
Video-record every presentation you give (a quick and simple way to do this is with flip video cameras). When you see and hear it played back, write down your observations according to the 3 x 3 Rule.
Audio-record yourself at every opportunity. When was the last time you listened to a voice mail of yourself? (In many cases, you can hit # to playback and approve it before sending.) Record conference calls and business/board presentations. You don’t have to listen to the whole thing – 10-30 seconds will give you a feel for the good, the bad, and the ugly.
If you multiply the 3 x 3 rule, you get more than 9. What you obtain is a foundation upon which you can build an action plan for excellence.
Meetings – We all have 'em, can't live with 'em, and can't live without 'em.
BNET did a video interview with me on some key points to communicate more effectively through meetings.
Here are some additional tips we give to our clients at Decker Communications, Inc., where we train people to communicate effectively – I call them the 10 Steps to Better Meetings:
1. Cut the meetings you have in half. Cut the time of the meetings that remain in half.
This assumes you are the leader of the meetings. Unproductive talk and time will fill the space of long meetings – The Peter Principle in action.
2. Have an agenda.
Bullets
only, direction driven, not "update" driven. It also helps to
distribute in advance by email if you have time and access.
3. Be on time.
Start
on time. Model your time at the beginning so people know you respect
their time. Don't wait for stragglers, and don't catch up items for
late comers (unless it happens to be the boss.)
4. Be controversial.
Not outlandish, but stimulate robust dialogue.
The reason most meetings are boring is because most meetings are
boring. As the meeting leader, it's up to you to make it interesting.
5. Have a focus, a Point Of View.
Meetings should not be primarily for updates and information exchange, but for action, discussion and direction.
6. Use intentional eye communication.
As
a leader, look at everyone or they won't feel included. And when you
want someone to speak up more, glance at them. Skillful eye
communication can direct and influence without words.
7. Be energetic – voice, gestures.
The
Shadow of the Leader. Your enthusiasm will drive others. And if you're
not the leader, the more energy and interest you show the more likely
you will become one.
(See Bonus #1 below.) If you are not encouraging Twitter in your meeting, you must be interesting. If the meeting and you are interesting, people won't go to
Twitter on their own, or their IM's and emails on their iPhones and Blackberrys. Set your ground rules for what you want to accomplish, and then accomplish it by relevance, vitality, energy and interest.
9. Drive to action steps.
Meetings should create actions, not informational data dumps. Be intentional.
10. End with a bang, not a whimper.
Most meetings peter out. Not only end with an action step(s) , close it off with an upbeat quote, story or video clip. Be creative – and your meetings will be too.
Bonus #1:
Decide whether or not you want to encourage people to Twitter during the meeting or not. (See Speakers – Be Aware Twitter Is Coming) It can be an interesting and engaging tool, or it can be a total disruption. Be intentional. Be smart.
Bonus #2: Get a Flip Video and record your meetings on video or DVD – put one up in the back of the
room to see how you and others interact and behave. Observed behavior
changes.
Bonus #2: Buy and read "Death By Meeting" by Patrick Lencioni,
a great speaker and consultant. There is a plethora of good advice and
concepts in his book that will change the way you run your meetings.
My favorite guest blogger is back, and I don’t say that just because she’s our Executive VP and my daughter-in-law, but because she is brilliant in developing programs for our clients. If you’re not doing so already, follow her on Twitter @kellydecker. – Bert Decker
I was first wowed by Cisco’s Telepresence – a fantastic virtual meeting solution – when I spent some time in NY coaching a group of Cisco’s leaders in 2007. But this week I got to experience it for myself, thanks to Ian Griffin, who set up a demo for local NSAers.
Cisco touts this experience as the next best thing to an in-person meeting. Clearly,
Chambers and team understand that regardless of the technology that shrinks the globe around us, it’s the face-to-face, in-person interactions that business continues to yearn for. And, it delivers. The experience is “you” in high-def, which, as our host Rick quipped, has it’s downfalls especially for any unwanted complexion issues. There’s nothing grainy or choppy about it. And though I hate to admit it (especially in front of my husband), once you go high-def, you just don’t go back (so, yes, I really do believe in paying extra for HD at home – there, I said it).
The video and audio is seamless – it feels like you’re in the same room.
It absolutely saves businesses travel time and money, and the ROI can be quick, depending on your need for travel. For companies who have put a halt on all travel even for salespeople – if you do not provide a way for them to connect in-person, you’ve just made it that much more difficult to sell in already tough times. There is nothing more effective to communicate to influence than in-person meetings – this provides a great way to do it.
It’s accessible to the public – you don’t need your own private Telepresence equipment to do this. Public rooms are available from $299 per hour per location. You do the math.
I was in a larger Telepresence suite, communicating with another smaller room. I observed for a while to figure out what was happening with eye communication – because it sure didn’t look like people were looking at the person who was talking (even though they were). Knowing how critical eye communication and behavioral skills are to the overall experience, I asked about how they prepare clients behaviorally to use the technology effectively. Imagine my disappointment when the answer was, “there’s a brief description in the documentation” and “a printed set of Etiquette Guides in each room.” Yikes!
Eye Communication is the #1 behavioral skill – if you don’t have it, you lose that connection and involvement with your listener. These might sound like subtle things, but communications is largely unconscious – how will that new client react to you when you appear to be talking to someone else in the room?
There’s also a lack of training in how to effectively present when you have an audience in the room with you, and an audience in cyberland virtually appearing at a table across from you. Even the Telepresence host overwhelmingly directed his presentation to the people in his room, only occasionally acknowledging the audience on the other side.
It is solely for seated meetings, so not a great solution for energetic collaboration, brainstorming, or facilitation. You need to stand and change the dynamics in the room to do this really well.
Ultimately, these are good reminders for all in-person communications. The hard part is to bring your communications to a conscious level, where you are always thinking of the total experience.
If you follow blogs on communicating, you certainly know of Presentation Zen and Garr Reynolds. If not, sign on now, because…
Everytime I try to find a great post of the week in Alltop's speaking category, there rarely is any that beats the depth, interest and visual power of Garr's work.
Here is his new post and recent review of Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers – a great new book reviewed countless places. But no review is as interesting as the Presentation Zen offering.
Presentation Zen blog stands head and shoulders above most of the rest because it is:
Design oriented. Because of this Garr is visual. Almost always he has video demonstrations of his points – a great tool. And he explains in graphic terms.
Personal. You know his perspective and personality. He writes with a direct and personal style. It is interesting. He gives his opinion but doesn't espouse causes that get in the way of his message. He keeps his focus on his one cause – good design.
So Presentation Zen is this week's Alltop top hit. Although I think I'm going to exclude him from weekly picks from now on since he would too often be the pick. Just subscribe to his blog and get him regularly.
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):
Tell Great Stories – she illustrated with visuals that ALSO told the great stories by themselves.
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.
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.
Probably pretty expensive, and not for everyone, or every purpose. And yet I would predict this mutual effort from Cisco’s very successful ‘Telepresence’ and the 3d holographics of Musion will make a big difference in corporate meetings and presentations.
Only last year we were talking here about the video revolution changing the way we make and view movies and videos. Here’s another dimension that will not only use the ‘old’ technology of video conferencing to communicate in a new way – but will enable us to capture it and broadcast it in new ways.
A hands-on experience to boost the stickiness of your ideas... and your impact.
Without question, praise is the most powerful motivator. I was amazed at the profound meaning a few nice words (that I saw as no big deal) had for someone recently. Yesterday I got this email after I had thanked one of our people: “Wow, Ben. You’re welcome. Thanks for noticing! Means a lot that you said something.” Encouragement is powerful.
You apply the 3 x 3 Rule via:
