Greetings!
I was on a panel addressing a group of high-potential professionals the other day. A woman asked me if I had ever been in a meeting where a "new idea" was posed, yet half the room seemed to have already contemplated it and did I think that was fair?
One critical difference between those who have brilliant ideas and those who turn them into brilliant success stories is what I call "the art of the meetings before the meeting".
Not only are these meetings fair, they are essential.
If you'd like to learn the six steps you can take to ensure your brilliant idea has its best chance of being adopted at your next meeting, go directly to our latest article titled, "Meetings Before the Meeting" on our website by clicking here
We can help you start planning those pre-meeting meetings right away if you take us up on our offer of a free one-hour coaching session by emailing us at info@gabbettgroup.com.
Happy meeting,
Janie Gabbett, President
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In this issue:
- FROM THE PODIUM
- BY THE BOOK
- STUMP THE COACH
- IS COACHING FOR YOU?
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FROM THE PODIUM
An icebreaker is a term used to describe the way a speaker connects with his audience at the very beginning of his speech. It's a brief story or remark, but a critical one. You see, your audience is deciding whether or not to listen to you. And they make up their minds pretty darned fast.
Doug Stevenson in his book, "Never Be Boring Again" suggests opening with a story. And he means OPEN with a story. Not "Thank you very much" or "I'm so glad to be here." Or the dreaded, "I was thinking about what to say today." He suggests grabbing your audience's attention quickly by telling a story. I agree. And to his recommendation I will add "Janie's Rules" on the type of story to use as an icebreaker:
- Indicate you know something about your audience by describing a situation many of them could easily find themselves in.
- Reveal a human frailty - like eating ice cream from the container or watching old "Love Boat" reruns. Measured self-deprecation can let an audience know you don't take yourself too seriously, making you more accessible.
- The best icebreakers are both entertaining and relate to the topic at hand.
- The best icebreakers are personal stories you enjoy and are comfortable telling. This will put you at ease in front of the microphone. When you relax, so does your audience.
Two things to stay away from in your ice-breaker:
- No "superman" stories in which you are the hero. An audience warms to someone they can relate to, not someone out to impress them.
- No jokes. They backfire more often than not and they are neither about you nor your audience.
Have an icebreaker you want to run by us? Email it to us at: info@gabbettgroup.com or call for a free coaching session at 847-679-4604. We'll help you break that ice and warm up that audience in no time.
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BY THE BOOK
Well, we already tipped our hand. Our recommended reading this month is
"Never Be Boring Again" by Doug Stevenson.
Doug is the creator of the "Story Theater Method" and his book leads you step by step through creating and telling fabulous stories in the context of your presentation that capture attention, inspire action and produce results.
I have used Doug's methods myself as a speaker and with my speech coaching clients, with great success.
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STUMP THE COACH
Dear Savvy Communicator,
Our company suffers from a crippling epidemic of copy fever. I'm sure it's the same in organizations around the world. "Better copy that person to cover my butt," is often also infected with the related illness of copying "up in rank".
Signed, Sick of Being cc'd
Dear Sick,
Yes, I'm afraid this is a virulent strain indeed. And there isn't one among us who has not succumbed to the "cc: the world" trap on occasion. Here are a few things to consider next time you notice your cc list is longer than the text of your message:
- Does this person need to act on this information?
- Does this person need this information to guide their decision making?
- Does this person have nothing better to do than to see how many big words I can string in a single sentence?
If people frequently receive emails from us that are irrelevant, it reduces the chances of them taking any of our emails seriously, or even reading them. This is the last response we want to engender, particularly when we are, as Sick so succinctly put it, "copying up in rank".
Think about it. And if you missed it, click here to read last month's article "Email Me" for further guidance.
Have a particularly tricky communication situation? A team that doesn't talk? An employee who doesn't listen? A client who needs to hear something they are not going to relish? Email us at info@gabbettgroup.com and we will give you our insights privately or in our next issue.
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IS COACHING FOR YOU?
Find out if coaching is for you by requesting a free one-hour session focused on a communication challenge you are facing.
CONTACT US to learn more about the Gabbett Group and to book a keynote presentation, a seminar or a coaching session at 847-679-4604 or email info@gabbettgroup.com.
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©Janie Gabbett 2005
