Leadership Lessons Blog

Leadership Workshop Presenters

 

So, you've signed up for a workshop because it has a wonderful title and a topic of interest.  You get to the workshop excited about how much knowledge you are going to gain and you leave the workshop less than satisfied.  If this sounds familiar to you, then I'd like to offer some things for you to look for to evaluate whether someone pitching a workshop knows what he or she is doing. 

1.  Is the workshop leader a subject matter expert?

Check out the presenter background information.  Are there testimonials you can look at or workshop evaluation forms.  Always ask for references that you can speak with.  Does the person belong to a speaker's bureau and how frequently is the person sought after to conduct a workshop.  Ask for most recent engagements and details about what the workshop leader was asked to do. 

2.  Is the workshop leader prepared for the size of the audience?

Sometimes, workshops can be facilitated in a terrific way with a manageable crowd, but if the audience is conference size it may not translate as well.  A strong presenter should be asking you questions about the attendees, size of the space and deliverable expectations.  There is a huge difference between a keynote speaker simply presenting information and a workshop leader who is trying to engage the group in a collaborative learning environment. 

In a few weeks, I'm going to announce the winner of a contest I've been running the entire month of May.  There is still time to enter the contest.  Please visit my website at:  http://www.ccconsultingllc.com/win-a-workshop/.  The details and contest rules are posted.  I choose the winner at the end of next week.  The workshop is worth $3,500 to the lucky recipient. 

 

 

 

 

Discuss how to evaluate whether someone pitching a workshop knows what he or she is doing. Promote contest

Leadership Lessons

 The folowing article is taken from a book I recently read entitled, Goals by Gary Ruan Blair.  The book highlights many leadership tips, but this particular article asks us to think about leadership and Failure.  If you have an opportunity, this book should be part of your management libray.   

Welcome Failure

"The dreaded "F" word - failure - is so important yet so misunderstood. The key to understanding how to succeed rests on knowing a thing or two about the importance of failure.

Failure is both the "teacher's pet" and the "black sheep" of the family of success!

People are naive about the benefits of failure. Wrongly founded assumptions about failure replace potentially accurate assessments of what is necessary to achieve success.

Failure has an ulterior motive - not to get you to quit, but to stop you long enough so that you may learn something, re-strategize and re-launch again more prepared for success.

Success cannot exist without failure as failure is part of the steering mechanism that drives you to success. Learn to expect failure - welcome it, as your denial of this reality can and will have huge negative effects.

Anything worthwhile is worth pursuing, even though the risk is huge, the investment formidable, and failure a possibility.

FAILURE is an essential part of the combination required to open the lock on success.

FAILURE measures your personal investment in this goal - it is a test of character, commitment and courage.

FAILURE lobs an occasional grenade at success, failure asks for your resignation letter, it goads and prods you into quitting, but success hangs in the balance.

We all live a life of close calls, belly flops, and missed opportunities. Your persistence in the face of failure and set back is a measure of your belief in yourself and your goal.

Knowing when to say when is also important. The message this time could be to say "Uncle" and move on to something else. An occasional step back to regroup and reload can, and often does, position you for several more steps forward."

Leadership Lessons--Becoming a T-Shaped Manager!

Morten T. Hansen, wrote an interesting article in HR Magazine's January edition.  The title of the article is The Future Manager is T-Shaped.  The basic premise of the article indicates that for managers to be successful in the future they must be able to be successful within their own departments while at the same time contributing to the success of departments across their organizations.  They also need to know when to say "no" to projects that they feel don't add to their own department's success or the success of the company as a whole.  Hansen cited, BEO David Nagel from oil giant BP as an example. 

In one year, Nagel and his team assisted 20 other departments.  To ensure that collaboration did not undermine outstanding unit performance, he had to manage his time, delegate to his team and say "no" to questionable cross-unit activities.  Hansen goes on to suggest tips for becoming an excellent T-shaped manager:  delivering results for excellent performance in his own unit (the vertical part of the T) and contributes across the company (the horizontal part of the T). 

TIPS for T-SHAPE MANAGEMENT SUCCESS!

• "Have the right attitude and believe that a job has two responsibilities--to achieve high performance in your own department and to contribute to other departments' performance.  If you see your role through this lends, you start looking at other people's work from their points of view."
• "Know your own area.  Think of the vertical part of the T as your area ofdepartment's expertise."
• "Know about other areas.  For instance, if you're a scientist in product development, you should know a little about marketing and sales or you won't contribute effectively."
• "Have the right networks.  Build effective interpersonal contacts with diverse colleagues and people outside your company.  Be persuasive, influencing people with the power of rank or finances.: 

In the past leaders could depend upon the notion that if they succeeded within their own fields of interests that they could be assured of success.  That expectation is changing.  Both individual and collective goals are now rewarded and teamwork and collaboration is the key to making this happen.

It's time to start working on your T-SHAPED management skills.