Posted by Celia Couture on Wed, Dec 23, 2009 @ 12:43 AM
We all freak out at the thought of speaking in front of a group of people. No matter how practiced we are at delivering messages to large group, there is still this incredible anxiety that comes over you when you are standing in front of a group and all eyes are on you. It immediately means you are the expert and people are assembled just to listen to your message.
For some people, speaking in front of a group comes naturally, for others it can be a nightmare riddled with all kinds of disasters, but by keeping in mind a few key tips, you can make delivering a speech or presentation a much easier task.
- REMAIN CALM: I know easier said than done. No matter how many relaxation exercises I do...I'm still shaky when I get to the podium so I've learned that I need to find a way to get the audience on my side rooting for me. I typically, make sure I greet as many people as possible that are gathered to hear me speak. I try to engage in some conversation with them so that I can make reference to the conversation when I start my presentation. Nothing makes an audience or me calmer than having common ground. The more relaxed I appear, the more confident I sound and the influence I'll have over the audience.
- ARTICULATE: Nothing is worse than sitting in an audience and not being able to understand a speaker. Sometimes, when you are nervous you tend to keep your voice lower or you tend to mumble. If this happens you can lose your audience fairly quickly, so make sure you are careful about the words you choose for the subject. Don't use words that are obscure to your audience. Don't make understanding your point of view an intellectual exercise. Speak clearly so that you are understood.
- Show Enthusiasm: Can you imagine sitting through a presentation when the speaker is half asleep and not showing any passion for the subject matter. Part of your role as a speaker is to get the audience reved up to take action. That can't happen if you are lukewarm about your subject or you lack energy. If you want people to stand up and take notice, not resort to doodling or taking a cat nap, you HAVE to show enthusiasm and energy for your topic. If you can, make sure you use a wireless microphone so that you are not teathered to a podium. The closer you get to the audience, the more engaged they become in your topic.
Remember you are in the room because you ARE the expert. You've been given the role of presenter because you have something to offer that is new, different, controversial or interesting. Make the most of this time, enjoy it and have fun. The more you practice, the better you become and you will eventually turn the butterflies in to being able to relax!
Posted by Celia Couture on Thu, Dec 17, 2009 @ 07:41 AM
Working in a small company has its challenges. It means that you can't easily hide in a cubicle and get lost in "doing" your job and it means that you are very vulnerable to the scrutiny of everyone you work for and with daily. Even the small business is "family-owned" and operated you also face additional challenges, especially when the "decision-maker" is very vague. You can be marching successfully to the drum of one owner and be completely missing the boat with another. If you avoid one directive over another directive, you find yourself sandwiched in a "no-win" situation.
As employees who work with father and son teams or husband and wife teams of sibling teams, we need to ensure that we work hard to understand the protocols of the company and how to survive mixed messages or confusion over strategy and vision.
I work with many small companies, many of which are run by members of the family. Each has a box on the organizational chart, but rarely do any of them stay in their functional box. This action is certainly understandable as they each have a vested interest int he success of the company. Unfortunately, when you are caught in the middle of their disagreements then you may find yourself on the short-end of the stick.
Their are several factors leading to the challenge of working in this type of environment. How do you best survive the differing management and leadership styles and how to you secure your reporting relationship with each member of the family so you don't end up playing arbitrator for their indecision or for their mixed messages.
The following are tips I would encourage you to practice if you find yourself in a similar situation.
- Clarify reporting protocols. You need to know where the buck stops in terms of direction and action. This is especially true if you are working in a company with 50/50 percent ownership. You may report to one person on the organizational chart, but could very well be getting direction from the other. You can't win this battle so it is best to sit down and ask for clarification on how you are supposed to respond to mixed messages or differering strategies.
- Hold the family members responsible for developing communication paths that are clear. One of the greatest failures in small companies is that they underestimate the need for consistent and clear communication. They make the assumption that since the company is small that everyone understands the message. Regardless of size, employees need to know that the company has its compass set on a particular path. They need to feel comfortable that everyone agrees with the path and are supporting the direction. If you are not getting the kind of clarification you need, it is your responsibility to ask for clarification.
- Ask for accountability metrics. Small companies oftentimes miss the need to establish identifiable goals and metrics. Employees are sometimes left to figure out what they are being held accountable for as a function of their job, but accountability standards are far more complex. Small companies must develop a mechanism to talk about performance and performance expectations. If you are not sure HOW you are being measured then it is up to you to ask for clarification.
If you are an employee in a small company, you must have the attitude that you are "part" of the family and that your success depends upon the success of the company. You need to ask yourself if you can be dedicated enough to the companies success to work "outside" of your box. In doing so, you may find that you have a very satisfying experience.
Posted by Celia Couture on Tue, Dec 15, 2009 @ 12:55 PM
This weekend famed golfer, Tiger Woods was in a car accident outside of his home at 2:00 in the morning. Thankfully, he wasn't hurt badly and is now ducking the media and the police for answers. His lawyer probably told him how to draft a message on his website about the incident, which I'm sure was the "legal" way to handle the messaging. Unfortunately, the choice of words did not satisfy the throngs of people and media moguls that want the "dirt!" So how does this pertain to leadership and communication?
Lack of communication and lack of a solid communication plan can lead to innuendo and gossip. Employees sometimes thrive on gossip especially if companies don't focus an approriate amount of time on the planning of what is going to be communicated, how it is going to be communicated, by whom and for what audience. Oftentimes, leadership teams have lived with a situation or change that needs to be communicated months before an "official" announcement. As a result, they have gone through all of the trepidation and anxiety and phases of change and consequently underestimate how their teams might respond to the information.
The lesson to be learned is that strong communication, regardless of how incidental or small the message is to employees still requires a great deal of rigor and a strong action plan. If you want to avoid having people "assume" rather than know the facts, follow the following tips:
- Ensure that you adapt your communication depending upon the audience that needs to hear the message.
- Identify ways to make a good first impression because you are ahead of the rumor-mill and gossip.
- Encourage others to provide suggestions to you for how best to communicate the message. Don't assume that you know how employees are going to react.
- Make your message memorable for the "r
Posted by Celia Couture on Fri, Dec 11, 2009 @ 12:44 PM
Managers have to deal with quite a bit. They are often asked to handle difficult behavior, manage performance, execute goals, get results and manage conflict. No matter how hard you work as a manager, there will always be conflict. As a manager you need to be equipped to manage conflict. Most people think of conflict as a bad thing for a business. Actually, conflict can be a good thing if the conversation is navigated to a positive outcome. Disagreement can sometimes bring about new ideas and new ways of thinking. Resolving conflict in a positive way encourages employees to express ideas that are different in a candid way.
The following are tips for resolving conflict commonly referred to as the "Interest-Based Relational (IBR) Approach". "The conflict resolution strategy respects individual difference and helps people avoid becoming too entrenched in a fixed position.
- Make sure that good relationships are the first priority.
- Keep people and problems separate
- Pay attention to the interests that are being presented
- Listen first; talk second
- Set out the facts
- Explore options together
By following these rules, you can ofen keep contentious discussions positive and constructive."