About seven or eight years ago, I worked with the CEO of a global manufacturing firm.  We were in his office for about 2.5 hours (in theory for a media training but he didn’t want to because he was tired) so we talked mostly about his career.  I gently raise the oh-so-popular topic of a succession plan.  Did he have one?  Not really.  Who would be in line for his job?  Four or five people could be ready someday.  Did he want to discuss some high level coaching?  Yea, let’s talk about it in a months; too much going on right now.    

That night, he dropped dead of a heart attack. 

I don’t think the place has ever been the same.  The guy was the picture of health one day.  The next day, gone.

What happened next was interesting.  Two people have since sat in the corner office but they never really fit into the big chair.  You can blame them, but that would be too simple.  The circumstances were tough. 

The first guy walked into a place so stunned by the loss they simply couldn’t get their minds around a new leader with his own ideas.  His style was a mismatch; like sticking a square peg into a round hole.  

The second guy was worse; he had come up through the ranks but had been away in Europe for several years. He came back to a place that was angry and disillusioned.  The company was losing its way.  They had no confidence the second guy understood.  They would walk out of their own SLT meetings, get on email and start bad-mouthing decisions that had just been made.  There was constant jockeying for power.  It was a soap opera.  Good people left or retired.  The water cooler was grand central station.  Two and three levels down people tried in vain to figure out their own career paths.  With all the internal strife, important things like customer relationships suffered.  

I know you probably think I’m now going to lower the boom and launch into a lecture on succession planning.  It’s not necessary.  Everybody knows their company “needs” it. The question is why the process stops there.  Don’t get me wrong - there are meetings.  The HR people come in to meet with the senior leaders toting sophisticated leadership competency models, succession planning tools, charts with high potential names; and yet everybody leaves the meeting saying “Nobody’s ready to lead.”

Bad stuff happens-people die.  Good stuff happens- people decide to retire, play a little golf, take a sabbatical, start a nonprofit, spend time with the grand kids, travel, or stay home. 

Either way, the outcome is the same.  New People Must Step Up.

There are companies that do this well.  They invest early and often in promising talent.  They do more than sit around and talk about who they like (and don’t like.) They look at this as part of their legacy.  They really want to leave the place better in better hands.     

Still, it’s difficult.  Who wants to think about the end?  Many of us want to die with our boots on; some of us just can’t imagine playing golf all day.  And even if we know we’ll be ready to leave someday, most of us are so healthy and energized by our work that we feel younger than we felt 20 years ago. 

We’ll worry about it tomorrow.  Right now, we have the second quarter to deal with.  

I’m no psychiatrist, but I am an executive coach, as well as the CEO of my own small company.  So with that in mind I offer these thoughts to CEOs, Senior Leaders, HR professionals, Talent Management Specialists, Succession Planning Teams.  

When I started writing my second book, Motivate like a CEO, I had a chance to talk with a number of leaders about how they viewed their own leadership teams.  A lot of them observed their folks needed to learn to think, act, speak, and inspire others.  Hence, the book.   

I’ve thought about it a lot in the ten years I’ve been in this business and I believe more than ever that you can help people become great leaders.  Even if you bootstrapped your way to the top, you probably did have some help along the way, and if you didn’t you have to admit you might have benefitted if you had. 

Investing in people is a really good thing.  You can help good people become great.  They can to motivate, influence and inspire.  If you invest it will accelerate this development and build a strong leadership pipeline.

In our practice we always say we can tell if somebody “has it.”  It’s usually clear in the first coaching session that someone is serious, has the right stuff, and is going to take advantage of the opportunity.  They will emerge as the leaders of tomorrow.

To me, the formula is simple.  Invest a little training and development in a lot of people and see what sticks.  Pick out enough good people from that group, and invest more in them.  Pick out the best and invest a ton.  keep going. That investment will pay off.  

And everybody will sleep better at night. 

 Print This Post

No comments »

“I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity.”

                                 -Oprah Winfrey

Imagine this.  You’ve worked for several weeks to prepare a 30 minute presentation.  You’re feeling pretty good about it.  You hope it will be enough to make an impression on your board, senior team or client. 

You walk into the room and they say, ”Listen, sorry, we’re really behind, uh…can you cover this in two minutes?”

Freeze. Smile. Nod.

OH MY GOD. 

If this has NEVER happened to you, then please call me next time you’re going out to buy a lottery ticket. I’ll come along.  You’re one lucky person.  Most business people have heard those words more than once.  Like jury duty - a few people luck out, the rest of us get called from time to time.   

So back to your freeze frame moment.  What do you do when they decide to use YOUR time to catch up after falling behind?    

First, count your lucky stars.   That’s right. This is your day.  You have just been presented with an opportunity to wow your audience.   

There is nothing more impressive than a business person who knows how to be brief.  What every single meeting attendee is wishing for is a presentation that takes LESS time.  You feel them exhale when you promise, “Sure, let me just summarize,” and then, you actually do.  

Just the other day one of our senior coaches, Craig Bentley, was preparing his client for a board meeting. In the last half hour of their meeting Craig said, “Listen, why don’t we outline your two minute version.  Just in case.”

“Really?” the client said.  “This is pretty important.  I’ve been told I’ll have 30 to 45 minutes.”

“Well, let’s just be safe,” said Craig.

You know what happened.  His client called right after the presentation.  “You won’t believe what just happened.” 

Yes, I would.

So here’s the drill.  Right before you put the presentation to bed, take a half hour to prepare a two-minute outline.  

• Big Idea - 25 words or less
• Three supporting statements, facts or observations
• Call to action or recommendation

I wouldn’t consider yourself ready until you have done this.  Even if you get your full time, you might end up on the elevator with the CEO who turns to you and says, “So, what are you working on?”  Nice to have that 25 word big idea in your back pocket.  If you have 40 floors, or 40 seconds, you want to nail it, right?   

You may be really good on your feet, but, don’t leave it to chance.  Think it through, imagine those two minutes, and figure out how you would shine.  If it happens, you’re going to feel so good when you finish and people are sitting up and paying attention. 

I first learned this lesson during my years as a television news anchor, hosting talk segments. I would always ask the author, “So tell me about your book,” or “Why did you write your book,” and there were two ways it would go.  There were the authors who got those big saucer eyes, and stammered something like,   “Well, you know I’ve worked on this for half my career…but I guess….” Then there were the authors that sat on the edge of their chairs just waiting for that question because they knew exactly what they wanted to say.  They owned the TV moment.  Note to publishers- why not give every author a little media training? 

Anyway, back to your two minutes of fame.

Prepare to astound your audience.  When you walk out the door, they’ll want to applaud.  They won’t forget.  They’ll think of you as the best presenter of the day.   

Two minutes?  Not a problem!

In fact, what an opportunity.   

Ever happen to you?  I’d love to hear your story.  Hit leave a reply.  Or email me at info@bates-communications.com

And if you’d like to learn more about how to handle your two minutes, contact us about our next Speak Like a CEO Boot Camp.

“

 Print This Post

No comments »

Ten Tips on WHAT NOT TO DO WITH EMAIL.  More accurately, how to KILL ME with e-mail.  

• Don’t start with a salutation.  Not everyone agrees on this, but I think it’s darn rude.  How the do I know this note was intended for me if you don’t begin with “Dear Suzanne,” “Hi Suzanne,” “Good Morning Suzanne,” If I picked up the phone you wouldn’t say  …”Listen I wonder if you have time to…”  You’d warm me up and make me feel special. “Hi Suzanne, how are you?”  E-mail should be economical, but you may want to acknowledge me by name and let me know “Hey, this is for you!” 
• Bury the Lead.  Have you ever noticed how the same people who think out loud do it in writing?  They write stream of consciousness; regurgitating all over the page; a wandering mess with a point you just hope is in there somewhere.  It goes on and on…..and on and on……and on and on……. just glancing at the page makes your brain hurt.  I usually close those and wait until I have time.  Which of course never happens.
• Make it Impossible to Skim:  What ever happened to paragraphs? Bullet points?  Visual cues?  Sometimes, a longer email is necessary.  Break it up and make it easier to skim.  Let the reader glance and capture the essence, and then go back to fully digest the content.  If you insist on writing long, unruly paragraphs that never end, I will miss something.  Guaranteed.   
• Send More than 3 E-Mails on the Same Topic/Conversation.  Nobody minds answering a quick question by email, but once you hit the send button three times on the same topic you’re crossing over to annoyance.  We all love email for the convenience.  We can read when we are ready.  At the same time, these electronic conversations are akin to the drip, drip, drip of Chinese Water Torture.  There is this wonderful little invention called the telephone, and what’s really exciting is now we also have cell phones so you can use them anywhere, anytime. It usually takes 23.5 seconds to work out an issue that demands 5 or 6 e-mails.
• Hit Reply All When Answering a Question Posed by One Person.  Once again, I expect to hear some disagreement, but honestly, I don’t need to hear from all 35 people on an e-mail stream about whether or not they are available to meet on Thursday at 4.  That’s the meeting leader’s job.  Reply to the person who initiated the request and keep my inbox clear.  Here’s a tip - meeting leaders - TELL everybody on the list that they should reply only to you.  Of course, some will still ignore this but it will at least cut the junk down to a dull roar.
• Don’t Explain the Action You Want or Require.  I often open a note in my inbox with a vague title line, wondering what’s this about.  I’ll and scroll to the bottom first to see if there is a request or call to action.  Lacking a clear understanding of what is needed, I will go back to the beginning, but I’m not happy.  What do you want?  Why not at least indicate where this is going?  Better yet, put it into the subject line and give me a deadline.   
• Avoid being specific.   I’m a simple person.  Tell me precisely what you want.  Don’t couch it, avoid it, explain it ten ways to Sunday or hide behind jargon.  Instead of asking, “What are your thoughts?”  Why not ask, “Could you send me the names of two people who could participate by Friday?” I’m so much happier when I know what I can do quickly to get you what you need.
• Call me by the wrong name.  Ouch.  I have to confess I have misspelled people’s names, too, and I really HATE it when I realized I’ve done it.  Listen, I’ll answer to anything and everybody makes mistakes, but I’m always amazed when I sign am email “Suzanne,” with my full signature “Suzanne Bates,” just below, and the salutation line comes back “Suzzane,” “Susan” or “Sue.”  I’m certain now that I will hear from everyone whose name I have misspelled.  Okay, that’s fair.
• Require an answer within the hour.   Look, I admire people who answer their e-mail within the hour, it’s a wonderful habit, and I appreciate it, I do.  It’s just not my life right now.  Meetings last more than an hour; travel across the country takes six hours; it just isn’t practical.  If there’s a deadline, then for heaven’s sake, call the office and tell someone who can do something about it.
• Say Things, or Ask Things, That Should Never Be Mentioned in E-Mail.  I don’t know anybody, and I mean ANYBODY who hasn’t made this mistake, especially in the early days when we didn’t realize that these were not private messages.  But these days, who hasn’t heard the horror stories?  Who hasn’t had a friend, colleague, boss or they themselves been hurt by forwarding, replying or including someone in correspondence that was never meant for their eyes.  If you wouldn’t want it on the front page of the New York Times, don’t put it into print, even to your best friend. 

As always I welcome your thoughts.  Maybe you’d like to add a few points to this list.

 Print This Post

1 Comment »

The other day I was working with a client who is about to roll out a two year strategy for her functional area in the business.  She and her team have worked for six months to put together a beautiful plan.  It’s incredible -on paper.  The program design considers the most current thinking and research in the field.  It will set a new course for the company and make them the envy of their competitors.  And, if they roll it out the way they say they’re going to do it, there is no question they will fail.  

How Do I Know that they Will Fail?

Don’t get me wrong, she’s smart, and it really is a pretty plan.  After all, these experienced professionals on her team have thought deeply about the issues – from their own perspective.  There is only one item they’ve neglected; but it’s a biggie.  They haven’t bothered to have a conversation with the business leaders in their own company who will have to fund and implement the plan.

Yes, that’s right.  They are about to go out and present this grand plan to the people who have to live with it, and they’ve left them in the dark about the whole thing.  Why?  Well one reason might be that they’ve heard it all.  They might be afraid they’ll hear objections.  They just might not have thought about it. 

Meanwhile these business leaders are focused on getting through the next quarter.  A two year plan is only relevant if it is going to solve some of their business challenges right now.  They can’t even think two to five years out.  They have aggressive goals to hit and have to put all their energy into that.    

So now, just imagine my client walking into the meeting room with them, opening up her laptop, putting up those PowerPoint slides and smiling that confident smile.  She’s thinking, “I’m going to wow them with my brilliance.”  They’re thinking, “She hasn’t got a clue.”  Of course I convinced her not to do that.  We’ve put on the brakes and she’s taking a new tact.  She’s going to go out and get their input before she proceeds.

If we hadn’t taken this action, one of two things would have happened.  Either she would have presented the plan, and they would have listened politely and ignored her, or they would have shot her down on the spot.  No matter what happened in the room, they would have discounted all that hard work and considered the whole exercise annoying or irrelevant. 

Why Most Plans Fail to Win Genuine Support

One of the main reasons people don’t win support from colleagues is because they go to them too late.  You see it time and time again.  Managers or leaders will go speak to colleagues AFTER they’ve already written up a plan and fallen in love with it.  People would like to be considered before you start messing with their business.  If you don’t get their highest priorities, then forget about it.  They will have no interest in you.  

A 90 Day Listening Tour

In Chapter 3 of Motivate Like a CEO, I talk about the importance of going on a 90 day listening tour before you formulate any major proposal.  Let me share a quick few tips from that chapter here. 

Think of this process as gathering what I call collective wisdom.  Nobody knows everything, but collectively everybody knows something, and when you combine it you have gold.  All these ideas fall into your lap; you’re rich! And all you had to do was set up meetings, sit down and ask questions.  

Yes, you may have some idea where the conversation will go; that’s good, it helps you prepare better questions for the meeting.  Just don’t create your plan before you get input, or you will miss the gems that will make it work for the rest of the business. . Say little or nothing about what you have in mind, except in a general way, until you’ve really listened.  You can test a hypothesis but not get too attached to anything until you have heard what others say with an open mind.

This only works if really open up your mind to what others have to say.  And don’t forget every constituency.  Of course you want the input of the CEO, senior team, business leaders, key stakeholders, board of directors, colleagues; but who else could either stop your or help you?  Put them into the mix.  

If you do this well, other people will write 80 percent of your plan; the rest will be born out of your knowledge, experience, research and intuition. Collective wisdom is magical.  The more people you include, the more you hear, the more patterns emerge and the more you’ll be inspired.  Ideas bubble up, you sort through clutter, issues become clear, and what emerges is a big exciting idea.

The selling part, winning support, is easy now, because you have a plan based on collective wisdom, and, those who will fund it or enact it are engaged.  Maybe everyone won’t agree; you won’t follow their precise recommendations, but they’ll recall that you involved them. 

Here are 5 more tips on how to win support for your ideas:

1.  Set a reasonable timetable for developing your plan.   It may take days or weeks to set up the meetings with all the stakeholders and gather their feedback.  Everyone is busy, but let them know that it is important to you and it is a priority.  In your call or email, explain why it matters to them, too.  “I’m interested in speaking with you about a plan that will have a real impact on your business this year, and really would appreciate your thoughts and input.”  If they get that it is central to their business goals they will be glad to talk with you.   

2.  Don’t Get Hung Up at the Beginning on Your Own Predispositions or Viewpoint: While you are an expert in your field, it doesn’t make you an expert in all areas of the business.  This is especially true if you work in a functional area of the company where your role is to support the businesses.  So, listen with an open mind.  By going in with a learning mindset you may be surprised and very pleased at the ideas you gather.  Later on, you’ll have far more success influencing others to support you because you were open from the start.    

3.  Build a Strong Interpersonal Connection:  The very act of sitting down and asking questions is a powerful way to get to know people.  So few people do it that you’ll stand out.  Be well organized so that you get through the business and have some time to get to know people personally and professionally.  I am always shocked at how little our clients often know about their own colleagues.  The personal connection is very important in winning support and becoming a player in your company.

4.  Make Your Presentation about Them:   People love to see their viewpoint reflected in the presentation.  Start by referring to these conversations and make a point to thank people.  If you’ve used our Audience Agenda System before, you know how to analyze what they really care about.  This exercise will help you organize your presentation with the confidence of knowing you had their interests in mind.  Don’t forget to use inclusive language such as we, you and us. 

5.  Prepare for and Welcome Tough Questions:  Just because you have been diligent in gathering collective wisdom, your proposal may not be a slam dunk.  Reasonable, intelligent people often disagree.  The more at stake in your plan the more likely it is to be controversial.  Don’t get all wound up or take it personally when people ask tough questions; it’s actually a buy signal; they are engaged and want to consider the proposal on its merits and make the right call. 

The best way to prepare for questions is to get into what I like to call a 180 mindset; think like the people who will be in the room.  Write down the questions they would have; the toughest ones first, then write down your answers in bullet point style.  Go back to your meeting notes and again consider all viewpoints as you prepare. Practice so you are less defensive and more open to a discussion. 

I welcome your real life stories about winning buy in or support for your plans.  You can share them in this forum by hitting leave a reply or you can email me at info@bates-communications.com

 Print This Post

1 Comment »

I’m not one to preach when it comes to finding people to help me.  Prior to launching my business ten years ago I was a television reporter so I didn’t make decisions that had an impact on other people.  I was surrounded by people all day long, in the newsroom and on my assignments, so I certainly didn’t feel lonely.

Once you start a business or get promoted to run something, everything changes.  I would guess most leaders go through a period when they try to figure it all out for themselves.  It isn’t that easy to find the right people to be your sounding board.  They have to understand you and your business, care about you, and be willing to tell you the truth.  You have to be willing to ask questions and listen to what they say. 

An Epiphany 

Recently I began working with a business consultant who is incredibly talented.  His analysis is spot on and his questions are probing.  He has helped me start to see my own business in a new way.  He’s clearing  away the brush so I can see a little further down the path.  I had no idea how cluttered things were because I hadn’t had a trusted advisor to help me hack through these issues.  

This experience has really made me think.  Why do leaders tolerate being lonely at the top? 

Sure - you own the decision - and the results or outcomes.  But that doesn’t mean that you should suffer alone.  If you’re lonely, the question is - what are you going to do about it?  

How Many Leaders are Lonely?

This isn’t a scientific poll, only an anecdotal observation, but I would wager that only about 10% of the leaders who come into our practice for a six month or one year coaching program actually have other trusted advisors.  But when they do, it shows. 

One EVP of a large financial services company appears to be in line to become CEO.  He is extremely intelligent, capable, energetic, and focused, however, at first blush, you wouldn’t pick him out of the crowd as ”the one.”  But what I noticed is that he has two or three independent advisors who have been with him for several years.  One of them routinely travels with him.  Here is a guy who made a conscious decision not to be lonely and it’s without question a factor in his success.

Working with a Trusted Advisor

In Speak Like a CEO, I recommended that you identify a trusted advisor who can work with you on your communication skills.  (Based on the above story, I won’t feel bad if you suggest I needed a dose of my own medicine.)  Anyway, in Chapter 7, I talk about how a trusted advisor could be a friend or spouse; it could also be someone who works for you; however there are obvious limitations to both.    

It’s really far better to find someone or someones who have the skill and expertise to help you do what you want to do.  You might call them mentors or coaches; it may be a formal or informal relationship.  It should be someone who genuinely cares about you.  He or she should really want you to succeed.  This person should have a chance to observe you at least occasionally in your work environment.  He or she should be willing to share insights- and tell you what you may not want to hear.  The credibility factor is key; anyone who is a trusted advisor should have experience overcoming the obstacles and challenges you face.  I prefer not to have someone tell me what to do; that’s consulting.  A trusted advisor should walk by your side.  

Trusted Advisor Survey  

Our Trusted Advisor Survey focuses communication and leadership.  I recommend that you sit down with someone you trust and ask them to answer these questions.  You may want to provide the questions in advance so they have time to reflect.    

Some questions from our survey:

1.  What do you see as my strengths in communicating?

2. Can you give me a specific example?

3. What areas of communication need further development?

4. Please give me a specific example.

5.  What is the consequence of not developing in this area?

6. How do you believe other people react to this?

7.  What would be the best way for me to address this need?

8.  What other areas of communication could I work on?

9.  Why are those important?

I tell you what; it isn’t always easy to hear what people say.  But it is liberating to know you have someone who is watching your back.  When you get over the discomfort, you find that you don’t have to be lonely.  That’s a relief. I’m filled with gratitude for having had this experience.

As always, feel free to share your experiences in being lonely at the top.  Or why you are not.   

 Print This Post

No comments »

“‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”        

                                                              - Lao-tsu, Chinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC)

A few weeks ago, I was having a heart to heart with a CEO needs to get out his office more often.  He wants to become an ambassador for his company.  More accurately, he knows he needs to.       

Like many bosses, he would rather stab himself repeatedly in the thigh with a sharp pencil than give a speech or interview to a reporter.  This is an accomplished executive who has led the transformation of the company, bringing an innovative new product to market, growing the customer base, cutting costs and improving profitability.  His credibility with employees and the board is rock solid.  It’s just that the company is kind of a best kept secret.  The story needs to be told.  This is a great time to do it.   

The real issue isn’t time, because as CEO, he determines how he spends his time.  The issue is mindset.  He’s used to organizing his calendar one way; this change requires a significant modification in behavior and priorities.  He knows he needs to do it and wants a coach to make it  happen.  ”I need someone to hold me accountable for getting there,” he says.

Changing your mindset isn’t like changing your shirt.  It requires a goal, commitment and a plan.  It isn’t enough to have the intention; you have to put these activities on your calendar every day.  If your schedule is filled with executive team and employee meetings, it isn’t going to happen.  Once you set the intention, you must schedule the intention and then honor the intention.  It won’t be comfortable at first.  It isn’t a familiar routine.  As my client observed,   “This will be a significant change in the way I spend my time.”

Changing a mindset is a little like standing at the foot of a mountain looking up and wondering, “How the hell am I supposed to get all the way up there?”  It seems insurmountable.  You can either turn back and head home or you can commit.  That means you draw up a plan, buy some gear and hire a crew to go with you.  You break down this overwhelming goal into doable tasks.  These are the steps that keep you from becoming paralyzed, staring at the mountain and saying, “It looks awful cold up there.” 

If you’re having trouble breaking down a big goal into smaller tasks, one approach is to imagine you’re already there.  Some of you who read my blog regularly know I suggested this ”looking back” exercise right after the New Year.  The idea is to imagine it’s 2012, just about two years from now.  You’re already up at the top of the mountain.  How did you get all the way up there?

When I posed the question to the CEO, he said, ”Well, I guess I started by deciding that I was going to go.”

“Good start,” I said.  

“I cleared my calendar several months out and starting scheduling time with the coach and the marketing team,” he said.   

“What else?” I asked.

“They booked me to speak at several events this year, so I had deadlines on my calendar,” he continued.

And so on.

By imagining that you have already achieved a goal it becomes so much clearer what you really need to do to succeed.  Instead of seeing obstacles, you see results, and the obstacles melt away. Once you “know” what “worked” you feel motivated.

Our CEO has started working on what I like to call a”Speech in a Drawer” (see Speak Like a CEO, Secrets to Commanding Attention and Getting Results).   We set a date by which the first draft will be finished for rehearsal.  Coaching dates are already on the calendar to write and develop stories that highlight his company’s accomplishments and lessons learned along the way.  He’s already started to relax; it will get easier as we go.  He’s already thinking, “Okay, I can do this.”  If you have a copy of Speak Like a CEO, refer to Chapter 16, pages 183-189 for five sample coaching plans you can implement on your own.

As you check off tasks you start to feel differently.  Not only are you achieving important goals; you are transforming your self image.  By starting with the end game belief (not just a far off goal) and scheduling activities you already know “worked,” you are able to identify important milestones, and that in turn energizes you and helps you commit to the process.    

Recently I listened to In Search of Excellence guru Tom Peters describing his drive from a home in Tinmouth VT to his other home, in Boston.   Obviously he is well-versed when it comes to imagining goals and milestones.  Peters gets out of bed and leaves between 3:15 and 3:30 a.m. because he really hates traffic.  (Having spent 9 years in television getting up at the same hour I can tell you that is a brutal hour to drag yourself out of bed but it is heaven to drive in Boston at that hour.) 

What gets him through the trip is marking the milestones.  Peters knows precisely what to look for at each stage of the trip. A house 17 miles from his Vermont house is 10% of the way; a restaurant where he can get a cup of coffee is a quarter of the way to Boston.  By anticipating and marking the milestones with visuals, he is able to stay awake and engaged. 

Think about what you’re trying to accomplish right now.  What are the milestones?  How will you see them?  what will mark your arrival?  The best way to do it is to put them on your calendar.  It’s a visual checklist.  Seeing things; knowing they’re just around the corner- well, that’s highly motivating. 

As always I welcome your ideas and suggestions on getting there.  What has worked for you?  Hit leave a reply.  

 Print This Post

2 Comments »

Okay, so the other day, I opened up a presentation with this photo.  It was Storytelling for Sales Professionals.  The caption read, ”Let’s look at the underbelly of your preparation for customers - how do you REALLY get ready for a sales meeting?”

Yea, they laughed. (I was so grateful.  Isn’t it nice to get a laugh?)

The point I hoped to make was that the more experienced you are the less likely you are to prepare because you know you COULD walk in and wing it.  So, what if you actually PREPARED?  I wanted these well-compensated sales professionals to realize they might make MORE money if they put some thought into it.  

Whether you’re in sales, customer service, marketing, engineering, IT or any other profession, the biggest problem with PowerPoint is really this:  

Too many words.  

TOO MANY WORDS!

Why Audiences Hate PowerPoint

A few years ago, while writing Speak Like a CEO, I interviewed a talented graphic artist who worked in a law firm and was just about going blind trying to edit their slides. She explained it to me.  The best slides visualize a concept.  But most speakers don’t take time for that creative step. 

Your audience should see it and get it.  Instant recognition.  If they have to read it they stop listening  - and you have enough to compete with today, from Blackberries to Starbucks coffee stands in the back of the room beckoning people to side conversations with cream and sugar.  

Instant Recognition

I once saw a respected physician wake up a morning crowd on a dull, ”homework” topic - health care, by showing a slide kind of like the one above; a bunch of people waiting in line for an escalator instead of taking the stairs.  Women in black pant suits were spitting out their coffee as they guffawed over the shot.  This Ph.D. could have presented us with lots of data like a big, important researcher, but she chose instead to make an impact.    

Don’t you wish more speakers would?  

Over 40 and Blind

Here’s something to think about.  Most people in your audiences are over 40 and can’t see the statistics, even with their glasses on.  Of course they aren’t going to admit this. They’ll just sit there and pretend.  More bad news for you.

I’m not suggesting you can’t use words, but do so sparingly and mix it with interesting graphics, photos and process models.  Today, in two seconds, you can find a photo of just about anything in the world.  Be daring!   PowerPoint is so easy today that even a monkey can look like a pro.  All it takes is a concept and a little imagination to wow your audience.

But It’s Different in My Company

Of course, I can hear all the crabby people out there saying, “You don’t understand our business; that isn’t our culture; people expect complex, data driven slides.”  Okay, okay, have it your way.  I know that many companies expect, no, demand more complexity in the PowerPoint.  Howevever, just today I was on the phone with a very frustrated SVP of a Fortune 100 company, railing about the fact that when HE walks in to talk with his CEO he knows he’d better present it on one page.  Then he attends presentations by his analysts and notes they’ve copied and pasted entire excel spread sheets at 4.5 point type into a PowerPoint presentation.  He doesn’t even know where to begin to change the culture.  

Where to Start

Let’s just start simply: at least make it legible.  Separate the graphics into different pages and make it so that you don’t have to walk up and stand next to the screen to decipher it.

Show and Tell

Next, go back to Kindergarten and remember ”show and tell.”  If I hear one more person introduce a slide and say, “As you can see our projections are…”  Guess what?   I can’t see it.  You spent 4 hours creating this fancy model and you’re giving me 7.5 seconds to interpret it.  Give me a break.

So with show and tell - take the audience on a journey.  Tell them where to look and what it means.  For instance:

“You’ll note that the blue line represents European sales, the orange line, Asia Pacific, and the yellow line, North America.”  Okay, that wasn’t so hard, right?

Why this Matters

Your audience has a choice.  They can either listen or read.  I’ve yet to meet the human being who can do both at the same time.  Try it sometime when you’re in the audience and a speaker is presenting complex material.  Listen?  Read? Go back and forth?  No matter what you do you’ll miss something.  

I have a friend who never uses slides.  Ever.  She says, “Go to any presentation and look at the speaker and the screen.  One hundred percent of the audience will be focused on the screen.  This is counterproductive.”

What Else can You Do?

Another friend creates his visuals live.  On good old fashioned flip charts.  The audience is always enchanted.  He talks, gets an inspiration, picks up the magic marker and - voila.  Whatever is lost in snappy, four color “smart art” is more than improved by the sponteneity of the moment.  He’ brings the audience into the artistic effort; they’re paying attention.  It’s about them.

SOoooo…let’s say you really want to prepare some nice slides. You know, tell a story.

Take it from movie producers.  Storyboard. 

After you’ve outlined your talk, done your research and finalized your plan, take a concept from each section of your talk and capture it in a picture.

The former Chief Medical Officer for United Health tells me that several weeks prior to a presentation (you have to start early) she lays out sheets of 8 x 11 paper on the floor, and draws with crayons.  She never sits down at the computer until she’s done the crayon thing.  I stole this idea. Now, in our boot camps and workshops, we use the crayon exercise - asking people to think about a single concept they want to capture.  You wouldn’t believe what people can do with a few crayons and five minutes to think.    

A Few More Tips

No time like the present. 

• Think about how you can shake things up. 
• Spend 20 minutes on line looking at photos
• Study presentations that grab you and ask why
• Count the words - then cut them in half
• Free up your mind.  What would you do if it WERE the culture to be interesting?
• Set out to design a presentation that wows people  

And have fun.  It should be a little more fun. 

 Print This Post

3 Comments »

I’m pretty sure that the last time I wrote on my hand was in the fourth grade. These days, when you have to invest as much as $25-$30 for a manicure, putting pen to palm renders the long hour of chatter, drying time and travel to and from the salon rather pointless.  I’m not sure why she thought she needed it.  It was pretty obvious she was working from a paper script.  Perhaps she feared the thunderous Tea Party applause would create an updraft.   

It isn’t a bad idea to have a back up plan, but there are better ways to avoid awkward moments.  For example, there is such a thing as a “speech box” which keeps your papers in order; as you read one page, you slip it over to the left, and preview the next page on the right.  It’s nifty.  You can also stash a second script on the bottom shelf of the lecturn, or tuck a set of index cards with those key words in your pocket.  Any of these would have kept Sarah from looking like a love struck elementary school girl.     

Everybody needs security when walking onto the stage.  Had she written the words ”Energy”, “Tax” and “Lift American Spirits” on an index card the speech would have been non event. Instead she set herself up for the inevitable media mockery, including one out of character, humorless gag by veteran reporter Andrea Mitchell, who held up her left hand and told MSNBC’s Daily Rundown that she was writing notes there ”just in case I didn’t remember the script.”   

There is the possibility that Sarah did it to create buzz.  She has a way of getting people talking.  You do have to hand it to her on the comeback; she apeared soon after with the words ”Hi Mom” written on her palm. 

In contast, I don’t see how President Obama comes back from his recent fumble.  I’m sure you’ve seen the clip of his speech to the National Prayer Breakfast, in which he mispronounced the word “Corpsman” –more than once.  The only thing that I think would have saved him (other than boning up on military rank titles) was to have a living breathing person run through the speech with him in advance.  An ounce of prevention as your mother used to say…  

Don’t blame the teleprompter - blame the mentality that goes with it.  Knowing those words will be right in front of you can give you a seriously false sense of security.  Unless the speechwriter phonetically shows you how to pronounce names and “difficult words” you’re at risk.  Best to pu an hour on the calendar to run through it. 

You can’t give as many speeches as these two do without making mistakes.  They are titans of the stage; they are also human beings. If there’s anything to be learned by observing, it is this: prepare, prepare, prepare.  And call in some backup.  I believe those speech boxes go for about $200.   

In case you missed this, click here for the video of Mr. Obama’s speech.  

 Print This Post

No comments »

U.S. transportation chief Ray LaHood’s recent gaffe has made me wonder why so many leaders in high stakes situations don’t anticipate the obvious question.  You no doubt are aware that LaHood caused a brief panic when he told a congressional panel that owners of 5.3 million Toyota vehicles affected by the recalls should “stop driving” them.

Later, backtracking, LaHood told reporters: ”What I meant to say and what I thought I said was if you own one of these cars or if you’re in doubt, take it to the dealer and they’re going to fix it.”

While there is controversy over whether LaHood is holding Toyota’s feet to the fire because U.S. automakers stand to gain, that seems to negate an obvious issue. Pressuring Toyota is appropriate and apparently long overdue; the car company must correct the issue and make the vehicles safe.  In fact, Toyota’s handling of this has people shaking their heads.  Toyota has a legal and moral obligation to make a swift and effective response.  At least one whistelblower is now suggesting a cover-up.  

But let me bring the focus to what we can learn from Transportation Secretary LaHood’s unfortunate comment. 

I imagine him- standing in the mirror- fixing his tie- heading out the door - thinking about his day.  What questions will the congressional panel ask?  Wouldn’t you think it might have occurred to him that they would wonder what consumers should do?  Surely, surely, someone on  his staff would have talked it through with him.  They would have gone over his testimony and prepared for questions that anyone on the street would ask.  Right? 

Right?

HMMMMM.

Okay, let’s now imagine it’s you.  You’re expecting a tough meeting with your boss, the board, customers or employees.  You want to be prepared.  It’s very simple.  Think the way they do.  

In all the year’s we’ve been coaching and consulting with executives, one thing I know to be true.  You can anticipate 95% of the questions.  And, if you can anticipate the questions, you can prepare solid answers.  It may not be what people want to hear, but it will be truthful and appropriate.  You won’t look evasive and they won’t doubt your credibility if you handle it well.

Every one of us who leads an orgaization, meets customers, talks to boards or executive committees, or manages employees can learn from these gaffes.  You are not prepared until you’ve done what I call “180 thinking.” Imagine you’re in their shoes and think about it from their perspective.  Include a Q & A, starting with the toughest questions first.  You can practically guarantee that’s what they’ll ask.  Better yet, if you know they’re going to ask, put it into the presentation, and avoid getting interrupted or grilled later. 

Here’s a five step process we call the Quick Prep Method to help you prep for tough questions:

1. Sit quietly and think about your audience- if you were in their shoes, what would you ask?  Whether you want to answer or not, they will come.  So, be prepared. This is the time to do a careful audience analysis.  There may be more than one audience within the audience, so think about everybody.

2. Write down every question you can think of - especially the ones that might trip you up.  The act of writing down questions is important because it makes it real.  With that question staring back at you from the page, you can’t ignore it.  You need an answer.

3.  Answer the questions candidly, truthfully and succinctly - I recommend you create bullet points.  This is a must because the average quote is 7 words and the average sound bite is 7 seconds.  Peole have short attention spans and the longer you talk the less they believe you.  P.S.  Always tell the truth.  If it’s a matter of national security or a matter of privacy or strategic business that needs to be quiet for now, it’s fine not to tell everything.  But what you say should be truthful.  Always.

4.  Go back to the drawing board if you don’t have answers - going through this exercise you’ll often discover that you don’t have it all nailed down.  The Quick Prep process gives you time to go back and find the data or reflect on what you really want to say.  Never ever go into a situation not knowing the answers.  Go to the people who know and seek their advice.

5.  Practice out loud - the value of this is undeniable.  When coaching executives, I’ve found they may have their talking points in front of them, but on a difficult question, they appear irritable, frustrated, or impatient because they haven’t rehearsed and confronted these feelings.  Practice out loud also commits it to memory so that in a high pressure situation you recall exactly what you want to say. 

What questions do you have about answering tough questions?  Leave a reply and we’ll start a discussion. 

 Print This Post

No comments »

“It is so important to keep that communication line open, and it’s difficult when you have that many layers between yourself and the front line.”

-Larry O’Donnell, CEO, Waste Management

If I were a betting woman, I’d put something down on what looks like a winning formula for the new reality series Undercover Boss.  The show, from executive producer Stephen Lambert, follows CEOs from major companies as they go undercover to see how their companies really work. Among the executives taking part are leaders from Waste Management, Hooters, White Castle and 7-Eleven.

Hit Show?

CBS is so confident they have a hit on their hands that they’re launching it right after Super Bowl XLIV. They’re calling it a “docu-narrative” since there’s no host.  I can’t imagine how cheap it is to make, since there is no Jeff Probst (Survivor’s host) and they aren’t paying any of the employees who appear.   Unlike Survivor, there’s no drama or competition - no one gets voted off.   Instead, you have CEOs like Larry O’Donnell of Waste Management, a Fortune 200 company, meeting his own people, taking on jobs like cleaning filthy portable toilets, riding a residential garbage truck and joining a fast-moving sorting line in a recycling facility.

Among the eye-opening moments was garbage truck driver Janice, who has to urinate in a bottle on her rounds because she has no time or place for a proper bathroom break.  O’Donnell gets hit with a lot of those reality checks and the result is a story with humor and heart.  I hear that advertisers and reviewers have been moved to tears.   

How Many CEOs Could Go Undercover?

Ever since viewing the pilot, I’ve been wondering - how many CEOs could go undercover?  Yes, these are gigantic companies with lots of employees.  Yet I’m struck by the fact that O’Donnell is able to put on a phony beard and a company uniform and go unrecognized by any of these folks.  I’ve worked for big corporations including CBS, and I’m trying to think back - yes - if I’m honest I’d have to say I wouldn’t have recognized every boss.  Actually most of them.  Especially if they wore fake beards.  I can’t think of a time when any network president came around to shake hands in a newsroom where I worked.   And back then, we didn’t have video. Al Gore hadn’t yet invented the internet.  Or U Tube.     

For every employee who believes their boss doesn’t have a clue what it is like to work on the lower rungs of the corporate ladder this will be a cathartic experience.  Who isn’t going to enjoy listening in on the conversation where Larry learns that one of his employees works two or three jobs, but gets paid for just one?  What I’m wondering is, what impact will the show have on the bosses of the world?   Will it be a wake-up call?

What’s It Like?

It does make you think about what it’s really like to work in your own company.  Whether you have a team of 6, 60, 600, 6,000 or 60,000, you probably don’t know the half of it.  The view from your perch is always a little rosier, perhaps by necessity, since you have to make tough decisions and your job is to look out for the welfare of the entire organization.  Still, even if you’ve come up through the ranks of your own company, it’s simply inevitable that after a few years away from your post on the front lines, you’re going to lose sight of what it’s like to be on the receiving end of your decisions.

What Every Boss Could Learn

I’m going to wager that even if you don’t have a TV camera following you that you could learn a lot by hitting the road and doing some of the tough jobs people do for you every day.  You don’t need a costume; just walk in the door and work side by side with some of your employees for a few days.  Imagine the reaction you’ll get when you walk in at 8 a.m. and don an apron or work boots; roll up your sleeves and get onto the assembly line or hop into the truck; sit down at a phone bank in the call center and answer customer complaints.  

When I wrote my second book, Motivate Like a CEO, I remember Bill Swanson, CEO of Raytheon, telling me the story of a time when he visited one of his own plants, not because he’d planned it but because at a meeting the day before, an employee had challenged him to come and look at the issues they were having on the assembly line.  Since he’d worked in plants and was an engineer by training, he went over to her station and helped fix the equipment.  The employees gathered around were first dumbstruck; later he got an ovation.  The story became legend.  

Click here to see a video preview of Undercover Boss

 Print This Post

2 Comments »