The Beacon Blog

No One Takes Responsibility Anymore

There is something about Washington, DC that is driving me crazy these days… Well, several things actually, but only one that I will discuss today.

I’m waiting for someone to raise their hand and take responsibility for something that didn’t go well. I’m waiting for a politician, an elected leader, to say “This went poorly, and it is my fault.” No one does that anymore. No one says, “This was my project, my initiative, my decision, and the blame rests with me.” No one. And if we ran our businesses the same way, we would all be out of business. When something goes wrong with a Latimer Group client project — if the client is not happy — we raise our hand and say, “Our fault, we’ll fix it.” That is what all good businesses do. And good business leaders don’t push responsibility down onto someone else, at least publicly. What happens behind the scenes is different. But good business leaders raise their hand and take responsibility.

Washington should take note.

I’m picking on President Obama, because, well, he is the President, and we just elected him to the highest office in the land… again. We asked him to lead. I just wish he would. Nothing is ever his fault. The IRS, the AP phone fiasco, the economy, the budget, the fiscal cliff… nothing is his fault. He simply points fingers at others. The IRS targeting of right-wing groups may not have been sanctioned by the White House. They may not have known about it at all. But the IRS works for the President, and he should raise his hand and say “if you want to blame someone, blame me.” That’s called leadership.

Don’t make the naive mistake of assuming the White House knew nothing about it, just because they say they knew nothing about it. We’ve heard this before. President Reagan pounded the table and said there were “no arms traded for hostages.” President Clinton pounded the table and said “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” President Nixon pounded the table and denied pretty much everything. Just because a President denies it means nothing. Regardless of whether President Obama or his inner circle knew about the IRS or the AP is almost irrelevant. These two things happened on his watch, and he’s taken responsibility for nothing. That’s bad leadership.

But I’m not writing about politics. I’m writing about leadership. It starts with Obama, and extends to everyone else in Washington, on both sides of the aisle. Don’t run your business this way. You’ll be out of business quickly.

Have a great day.

At The Latimer Group, we believe that successful teams are built on honesty, open communication, and collaboration. For more on team building and team communication, look for Dean Brenner’s latest book, Sharing the Sandbox: Building and Leading Great Teams in the 21st Century, on sale now.

Filed Under: Leadership, Team Building, Teamwork

First the Story, Then the Slides

Here is a conversation we regularly have with new clients…

New Client: “I have a big presentation coming. Will you take a look at my slides?”

Me: “Well, before we get to the slides, what is the point of the presentation?”

New Client: “Here, it is on the slides.”

Me: “I don’t care about the slides. Let’s talk about your story first.”

New Client: “It’s on the slides. Let’s look at the slides.”

And so the conversation goes…

Let me get straight to the point. The slides don’t matter until you first figure out what you want to be talking about. The slides need to be placed in proper perspective. They are nothing more than the visual representation of the story you have chosen to tell. So, you need to figure out what the story is first, and then create slides that bring that story to life.

Most people make the mistake of immediately working on their slide deck, as soon as they know they have to speak. But the problem with that approach is that you are creating slides without first having sorted out what the slides should say. If you create the slides first and then choose your words later, you are essentially reverse engineering your performance. You are creating a deck, with no purpose, and then speaking to the slides you created.

The more effective method is to choose your story and your words and the sequence of your ideas first, and then create slides that tell that story.

Bad presenters give bad presentations by speaking to the slides that they threw together.

Good presenters give good presentations by figuring out first what the point is, the goal is, the story is, the ask is… and then creating visuals that help tell that story.

Have a great day.

Photo: Richard Bowen

Filed Under: Communication, Persuasion, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Skills, Sales Communication

Getting to the Point Quickly is Really About Respect

In our communication skills workshops, there is a theme that always comes up that seems to surprise first-time participants. We talk about many of the most important aspects of great business communication: clarity, brevity, being memorable, setting context, communicating value, staying “on message”… all of the things that are required in the 21st century business environment.

But then the surprise for most people is that we translate all of those communication characteristics into the theme of “respecting your audience.” And we usually get more than a few raised eyebrows when the topic of respect comes up.

It’s a straightforward idea… You are busy, the people you work with are busy, everyone is busy. Busy, successful people (exactly the type of people you probably are trying to do business with) hate having their time wasted. And therefore the best way to build your own credibility, AND the best way to demonstrate that you respect your audience is by showing up to your meetings, conference calls, and presentations prepared. When we do the necessary preparation, and are ready to communicate clearly, we are, above all else, demonstrating that we respect our audience’s time. When we show up unprepared, and cannot get to the point, cannot communicate value, cannot make it easy for our audience to remember the key messages, we are wasting their time and hurting our own brand.

I’ve seen, all too often, projects delayed, careers slowed and credibility hurt because of one bad presentation or one poor meeting. And the biggest roadblock to sufficient preparation is that people convince themselves that they are SO busy, that they cannot find the time to prepare. Well, what will be more costly to you… finding the time to prepare amidst your busy day? Or being forced to spend more time afterwards to clean up the mess from a bad meeting, or to have to schedule a second meeting to get your sales process back on track?

Respect your audience. Show up prepared. And in respecting your audience, you also build your own credibility and your own brand. That’s a win for everyone.

Have a great day.

Photo

Filed Under: Communication, Persuasion, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Skills, Sales Communication

What to Do if You Ramble On and On and On…

Most people struggle to get to the point. Most people struggle with clarity and brevity. And this affliction is largely due to an inability to plan out the message, and prepare appropriately. Getting to the point quickly and clearly is not just a delivery technique. It is the output of organization and preparation.

However, on top of good preparation, there are a few delivery techniques that can help. Here are a few quick ideas for you on this Monday morning:

1. Think of your message as your audience’s meal. Don’t try to cram the whole meal down their throats in one bite. Let them chew. Let them swallow. Let them prepare for the next bite. In other words, slow down. Pause. Allow them a moment between ideas to consider what you are saying, before you sprint off to the next point.

2. Speak with periods, not commas. Try to avoid the long, run-on sentence groaning from the weight of multiple subordinate clauses. Try to speak in shorter, simpler sentences, with simple noun-verb-object construction. Try to speak in active voice, not passive. I am not saying “dumb it down.” I am suggesting that we speak in a way that makes it more likely our audience will be able to comprehend what we are talking about. If they have to work really hard to deconstruct our sentences, they will be missing the essence of our content.

3. Speak in bullet points. Whenever possible, try to place key messages or points into a short list, and then speak them as a list. “There are three things you need to remember here… one… two… three….” Or, “our proposal has two key components… first… and then second…” When we speak this way we make it easier for people to remember the key messages. In addition, when we speak this way, anyone who was likely to take notes will pick up their pen at that moment and take notes. Why? Because you just made it easy for them to do so. You organized their notes for them. And the statistics are clear: once someone writes something down, their ability to remember it goes way up.

Do you ever struggle with rambling? The cure for this affliction starts with thorough preparation. But then, on top of that preparation, these techniques will help. When we are able to get to the point quickly and clearly, people look at us differently. They “brand” us in their own minds as being organized, thoughtful, and strategic. Those are good things for you, and it is worth your time to acquire the ability to get to the point.

Have a great day!

Photo: Christopher Berry

Filed Under: Communication, Persuasion, Public Speaking Skills, Sales Communication

A Crisis of Confidence: Do We See What Others See?

I coach communication skills for a living, and have for a long time. That coaching sometimes takes the form of sharing specific tools, frameworks, and message development techniques. But it often also requires something more subtle, personal and emotional.

Many people we coach struggle with the confidence to stand in front of the room and speak. Many fear judgment, failure or embarrassment. Many people have an incredibly low opinion of themselves — what they sound like or what they look like. After spending more than a decade in this business and having coached thousands of people, I can say with absolute confidence that the vast majority of people we meet have an unfairly low opinion of themselves and their performance.

Yesterday, this video came across my radar screen, and it resonated loudly.

It is an online commercial for a women’s consumer product company, and sure, on some level, they are simply trying to sell more of their products. But what struck me was how true and powerful this message really is, regardless of the type of soap you might use.

So many of us see ourselves more negatively than others see us. So many of us suffer from a crisis of confidence. I spend a great deal of time in my professional life, trying to persuade people that their skills are better than they think they are.

And in my personal life, I try to demonstrate my friendship to others on a daily basis by reminding them that they are a good coach, or a good teacher, or that they told a story well, or that they look good… that somehow I appreciated them. Maybe that means I wish them a “happy birthday” or “happy anniversary” on their big day. Maybe it means showing simple appreciation of some kind, any kind.

As a husband and a father, my most important role is to give my wife and son daily love and affirmation that they are special. The greatest gift we can give our young son is the confidence to like himself and believe in himself. So too with Emily. She is a confident woman, with good reason, but we all have our days when a little reminder goes a long way.

My point to you today is that crises of confidence are common, and in our professional and personal lives, the best gift we can give is to remind our friends that what we see in each other is more special, powerful, and beautiful than what we might see in ourselves.

Have a great day!

Filed Under: Communication, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Skills, Sales Communication