Greetings!
Is the water cooler defunct?
You remember the water cooler. That mythical place where the party line gave way to corporate gossip and managers heard the truth about how their policies were playing.
Is it defunct? Well, technically it's still there. It's just that no one is physically there to drink from it.
So, what is a virtual manager to do? How do you take the pulse of your team when they are working from home, another office or another time zone?
To learn four ways to stay on top of your virtual team read our latest article, "Is the Water Cooler Defunct?"
Looking for a speaker for the next gathering of your far-flung team? Email us today at info@gabbettgroup.com and we'll create a speech or seminar to address your team's most pressing communication challenge. Visit our website at: www.gabbettgroup.com and read other articles which have already helped others become savvy communicators.
Janie Gabbett, President
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In this issue:
- FROM THE PODIUM
- NEXT ISSUE IN AUGUST
- IS COACHING FOR YOU?
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FROM THE PODIUM -- ALWAYS WRITE YOUR OWN INTRO
Whenever you are asked to speak, make sure you write your own introduction and give it to the person who will be introducing you.
When I say write it, I mean verbatim. When I say give it, I mean physically hand it to your introducer.
I recently attended an event at which an extremely accomplished executive was being honored. My guess is either she or someone who worked for her sent a copy of her resume or a detailed biography for the host to write her introduction from. Big mistake.
The introducer literally recited this woman's resume -- in excruciating detail. I mean every job she ever held, every award she ever received and every organization she ever belonged to over the past 20 years. This went on for ten minutes.
The crowd started twitching. Then started tittering. I heard one woman standing near me whisper, "Yeah, but did she ever save Lassie?"
When the executive finally took the podium, she looked a bit ashen. "I can promise you one thing," she quipped, "My remarks will be shorter than my introduction."
It was an excellent recovery, but it didn't have to be.
Always write your introduction yourself. Time it. Thirty seconds is about right. The audience will judge you more on what you say than what is said about you.
Your intro should only highlight the parts of your magnificent background relevant to the topic at hand. The purpose of the intro is to set you up as a credible speaker on that particular topic, not the other 57 you are an expert on.
On the other end of the spectrum from our ashen award-winner, was the speaker who emailed her intro weeks before she spoke, but didn't bring a hard copy. Neither did her introducer. I was literally introduced once as, "This is Janie Gabbett. She (long pause), well, she gives lots of talks to lots of people about lots of things."
I believe I turned an interesting shade of fuchsia.
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OUR NEXT ISSUE IS IN AUGUST
In the immortal words of Arnald Schwarzenegger, "I'll be back" (in August).
This is the June/July issue of the Savvy Communicator. We are trusting you to use your savvy communication skills through that family vacation, that 4th of July picnic and that convention in a city known as a WINTER paradise for a reason.
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IS COACHING FOR YOU?
How about you? Do you have a presentation coming up? Whether you are a deer in the headlights or a good presenter ready to become a great one, we can help. We guarantee that after just one coaching session you will improve. Call us today. Start sounding smarter tomorrow.
©Janie Gabbett 2005
