It’s official.  I’m on the Gelato diet — I may have invented it.  Every noon I am absolutely committed, no matter how difficult a sacrific it is, I give up salads and sandwiches to walk to the center of Wellesley and spend $4 at Rosie’s Bakery for a cup of the most delicious Gelato imported straight from Italy.  It’s as close as you can get to heaven on earth.  

My obsession is now so complete, I’m thinking not only about how to consume Gelato, but to BE gelato.

Seriously though, it made me wonder- what if you could be the Gelato of the business presentation world- a memorable, wonderful experience?  What can Gelato teach us about making great presentation?   

Gelato, or the plural Gelati, is Italian ice cream made from milk and sugar, combined with other flavorings. The gelato ingredients  are frozen while stirring to break up ice crystals as they form. Like high-end ice cream, gelato generally has less than 35% air, resulting in a denser and more flavourful product.

In a “Gelato presentation” - you would father together fresh, rich information and combine it carefully through a process that made it flavourful.  You would “present it” in a beautiful glass “vase” or package, and audiencees would never forget you; they would seek you out and pay any price to listen to you.

Just to carry this analogy to the extreme, I looked up how Gelato is made.  I went to the source of all sources — Wikipedia –(Smile) to learn that Gelato is typically made with FRESH fruit or other FRESH ingredients such as chocolate (pure chocolate, flakes, chips, etc.), nuts, small confections or cookies, or biscuits. 

The Gelato presentation has FRESH information - something NEW - something your audience hasn’t heard, doesn’t know.  That enlivens their brains, the way Gelato enlivens the taste buds.

Traditionally, milk based gelato originated in northern Italy,  while the fruit and water based sorbetto came from the warmer parts of southern Italy.  Either way, it comes from Italy, the food mecca of the world.

What we know about Italy and food - is they take it seriously.  Food is life.  That’s why real Italian food reigns.  When we take the creation of our presentation as seriously as Italians do their food, we put our heart and soul into every bite. 

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What you want to create with a presentation is rich visual imagery and a lasting impression.   When people walk away, they should have a picture, a taste, a feeling about you and your topic.

Put your heart and soul into the next presentation — and treat your audience to a rich, fresh, memorable experience.

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A friend sent me a copy of the Business Life section of the Financial Times last week.  Stefan Stern, stefan.stern@ft.com writing On Management, notes the last two presentations he actually enjoyed and remembered anything about contained very few slides.  “One speaker,” says Stern, “offered only pictures and no text.  This allowed her to create and sustain the illusion of spontaneity.”

He also notes that in I Hate Presentations, James Caplin says too many people are stuck in the “school-essay” mindset of imparting information.  Here’s a link to Amazon.com if you’d like to check out this new book: http://www.amazon.com/Hate-Presentations-Transform-powerful-approach/dp/1841128090/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217281470&sr=8-1 

The big message is we get all wrapped up, telling a long story about the past, present and future of our companies, sticking to this incredibly dull formula, that the whole thing is “lifeless.”

My thought?  If you hate presentations, your audience hates YOUR presentations.  If you go in with that attitude, you won’t fool them!  You can try to fake your interest, but they won’t buy it. The secret to having audiences love you is to LOVE YOUR AUDIENCE!  Embrace the art form of standing and speaking to people.  You’ll enjoy it.  They’ll enjoy it. 

To read the full article go to: www.ft.com/stern

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“I was at a meeting the other day and someone got up and said, ‘When you’re the boss, you’ve got to make sure that you have at least one person around who is a truth teller.’  And I got up later and I said, ‘One?  If there were seven around me and six weren’t, I’d fire them.  They should all be truth tellers.’”

–JP Morgan Chase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon on the Charlie Rose Show, Monday July 7th. 

Amidst the financial services meltdown, many say Dimon, more frankly than most, is shining a light on the harsh realities.

As a leader, ask yourself these three questions:

• Are you a truth teller?
• Do you surround yourself with truth tellers?
• Are you listening to what they have to say?

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For a moment I thought I was just dreaming. I awoke to the heavenly, unmistakable aroma of fresh-baked chocolate cookies at 32,000 feet.  It filled the air with the promise of a sweet treat for weary passengers to Boston, delayed for two hours. Was American Airlines (www.aa.com) trying to reverse the curse of relentless torture with a thoughtful gesture for its valued customers?  

I waited, glancing hopefully down the aisle, expecting any moment that an airline attendant in blue to magically appear with a big plate stacked with cookies.  Should I?  Of course, South Beach be dammed.  I watched and watched.  No one came.  Finally it dawned on me.  They would not come.  The cookies were baked for FIRST CLASS PASSENGERS ONLY. 

Don’t get me wrong.  I have absolutely no issue with the airlines give extra special treatment to first class passengers.  It’s part of the deal. Food that passes as a real meal on a china plates?  Naturally!  Napa Valley Cabernet served in real stem glasses? Of course!  My only request: just keep the curtain closed.  I know I’m not special in coach, I just don’t want to be reminded.

That’s why it struck me as odd that American would so flagrantly violate this long standing rule – and send out such a big, fat smoke signal.  It wasn’t just that we weren’t chocolate chip cookie “worthy” … it’s that they BROADCAST it to us – a kind of “in your face” message that made us feel like true second class citizens.

You can’t pull the curtain on the smell of fresh baked cookies.

And it strikes me that a lot of other businesses are doing the same thing.

A lot of businesses are sending the wrong signal to their customers … alienating them with the stupidest unintended messages.  Every time we give someone less than 100% attention or miss the mark we’re saying “You’re just not that important to us.”

It’s as if we’re going on the public address system on the airplane and saying, “Dear Customers, we want to be sure that you know how we really feel about you.  You are not worthy of our best.  You are not worthy of the special treat.  You can smell the cookies but you can’t have them.

I remember reading how American Airlines once saved $40,000 simply by eliminating one olive on salads in first class.  So I don’t expect the cookie.  It’s just that if you’re going to give it to some, and do it right in front of us, you’re going to alienate us. 

Now might be a good time to examine the question – are we making sure that all our customers know they are chocolate chip cookie worthy?

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Visiting the Hilton Chicago http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/CHICHHH-Hilton-Chicago-Illinois/index.do on South Michigan Avenue a couple of weeks ago was a real trip back in time.  When you walk in the door you realize it could be 1958.  And I don’t mean that in a bad way – it’s just that the lobby with its bank of elegant old elevators looks very much the way it did fifty plus years ago.  The only way you know its 2008 is that inside the elevator they have a flat screen TV playing CNN.

This is a gigantic hotel, designed to hold conventioneers on their way to the equally cavernous McCormick Convention Center.  The only way to get from the hotel to your convention is to walk 45 minutes or take a shuttle bus (read cattle car) and when you get inside you will walk another 45 minutes to find your meeting room..  Since I was speaking at 7 a.m., leaving at 5 a.m. on foot was not an option, so I decided I would catch a bus.  However, consulting the shuttle schedule in the lobby, it was simply, utterly incomprehensible. I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. 

There were 8 columns with numerous hotels in each column and probably 30 lines of 8-point typeface on destinations.  I suppose I could have stood there for awhile and eventually deciphered it, but I was getting buffeted by a crowd that was pouring in from the street after they were driven from Millennium Park across the street by a sudden downpour.

So I did the only sane thing – walked down the hall to the Concierge desk and asked them how to get to the McCormick Center in the morning.  I explained I had to be there very early.  The helpful concierge explained I should go to the 8^th Street entrance at 5:50 and catch the 6 a.m. shuttle.  That’s when it hit me.  Information (the posted shuttle schedule) is not the same as knowledge (the quick advice from a knowledgeable concierge) was what I really needed. 

Yet this distinction is not so well appreciated inside our companies.   We assume if we send an email or put out a memo that people have received what they need to do the right thing and make the right decisions. Then, when they say they “didn’t know” or “hadn’t heard” the boss wonders why.  Information is not knowledge.  You cannot assume because you put up a schedule or send out a memo that people will be able to interpret and use that information.  I don’t have all the answers but maybe you need to consider setting up your equivalent of the corporate concierge – make sure that people get easily digestible information, in a form they can use, when they need it. 

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A few weeks ago I was speaking at the Society for Human Resources Management (www.shrm.org) where the topic was how to Speak Like a CEO.  In their television studio after the session, the interviewer asked me how HR leaders can coach their managers on delivering bad news.   

The biggest mistake that managers make is not being direct and clear.  The person getting feedback either doesn’t “get it” or doesn’t take it seriously.  The second biggest mistake managers make is just the opposite: they are too direct and their style overwhelms the person.

What’s the solution?  I’ll pass along the advice I once received from a wise friend and counselor.  “Be gentle but firm,” she said.  What does it mean?  Your tone should be kind, caring and concerned but your message must be unequivocal.  Focus on the behavior, not the person, but make sure you don’t mince words.

This is part art, part science.  I recommend writing down what you want to say and practicing out loud.  Write down the behavior that is unacceptable and be specific.  Explain the impact it had.  Ask the person to respond.  Listen to make sure they have heard you.  If they distort the message, they didn’t hear it, or didn’t believe it, so repeat it and give an example, and again, state the impact along with the desired behavior.  Stop, ask a question, and listen to see if they’ve heard it.

Your words should be crystal clear while your tone can be kind.  You can maintain eye contact, and a businesslike but concerned expression while you deliver an unequivocal message.  It requires practice but once you get the hang of it, you’ll realize how much people appreciate it.  They want to know how they’re doing, they don’t even mind bad news, as long as they know what is expected, that you’re going to give them a chance to get it right and that you appreciate them as people.

If you have a repeat offender, you may need to get more direct in your tone, but try this first: gentle but firm.  It works.

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Bad News “Bearers”

A reporter called me to ask this question: what should CEOs do when they have bad news to deliver to the board?  Let’s face it; these days- there is some bad news to deliver.  Still, I have a problem – not with the question – but the assumption.  The assumption being you’re going to walk into a board meeting and drop a bomb shell.

If you’re doing your job as CEO you’re in touch with your board.  Bad news should not come as an utter, complete, total surprise.  When times are tough (and for that matter when times are good) you need to have your board in the Feedback Loop.  If you aren’t getting on the phone or emailing key board members from time to time, then how on earth are you going to get the advice and information they are able to provide you?

Yes, business is done in the boardroom, and it is important.  But you need to build relationships with your board that extend beyond the formal meetings.  If you have a high quality board, you have people who can and should add value to your business.  If your board is doing its job, they should be acting as a valuable resource and sounding board for management.

Full disclosure: I have never run a public company.  But I’ve worked with a lot of CEOs who do.  Those who are successful figure out how their boards can help them make good decisions. 

If you have bad news, you should be picking up the phone and talking through the situation, at a strategic level, with the people who can provide advice, support, and good, sound counsel.  Your toughest critics can be (of course not always) your greatest ally if you cultivate their brains. 

Aside from building relationships what can you do when you have bad news? Take a step back and ask yourself, what will they ask?  Write down their questions, and then write down your answers in bullet point style.  Board members may disagree but they will give you the benefit of the doubt if you have thought through the issues and are well prepared.

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