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June 25 - June 27, 2021
Most speakers put too much into their talk. There is only so much you can cover in an hour and expect learning to occur. We have started to follow a specific model to make sure that we do not break this rule. I call it Jigsaw Management.
As you lay out your ideas, imagine that you are going to ask your audience to assemble a large jigsaw puzzle from scratch. Your ideas are the pieces.
I keep my talks to three ideas max, and that can still be too much for an hour.
In the end, people are persuaded not by what we say, but by what they understand. When you speak clearly and simply, more people can understand what you’re trying to communicate. Being simple as a communicator isn’t a weakness. It’s a strength!
“The greatest thing a human ever does in the world is to see something and tell others what he saw in a plain way. Hundreds can talk for one who can think, but thousands can think for one who can see. To see clearly and tell others clearly is poetry, prophecy, and religion all in one.” In the end, people are persuaded not by what we say, but by what they understand. 5.
I’ll give my pizza speech. If I don’t deliver in less than thirty minutes, you don’t have to pay me.”
“He can compress the most words in the smallest ideas of any man I ever met.” —ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Executive communication coach Anne Cooper Ready, in her book Off the Cuff, gives the following advice: Begin, and end, on time. Or better yet, end a little early. Even if you are a paid speaker and want to impress the organizers so they know they’ve gotten their money’s worth, stop yourself with a particularly good answer a few minutes before you have to. In today’s over-booked society, nothing is more appreciated than the gift of a little found time.
One of the greatest ovations I ever received came at the end of the shortest speech I’ve ever given.
My leadership talk is the following: Everything rises and falls on leadership.”
“All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope,” and “Broadly speaking, the short words are the best, and the old words best of all.” It may seem counterintuitive, but if you want to take your communication to the next level and connect with people, don’t try to impress them with your intellect or overpower them with too much information. Give them clarity and simplicity. People will relate to you, you will connect, and they’ll want to invite you back to communicate with them again.
CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE AT ALL LEVELS CONNECTING PRACTICE: Connectors do the difficult work of keeping it simple. KEY CONCEPT: The larger the group, the simpler the communication needs to be.
I started the discipline of collecting quotes, stories, and illustrations for my speaking. I figured if I couldn’t be interesting, at the very least I would include things in my messages that were.
National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee. He observed that the best presenters exhibited the following: • ENTHUSIASM. The storytellers obviously enjoyed what they were doing, expressing themselves with joy and vitality. • ANIMATION. The presentations were marked by lively facial expressions and gestures. • AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION. Almost every storyteller involved the audience in some way, asking listeners to sing, clap, repeat phases, or do sign language. • SPONTANEITY. Although the stories were memorized, storytellers responded freely to listeners. • NO NOTES. This was truly
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9 CONNECTORS INSPIRE PEOPLE
Some people inspire us more than others do.
As I have watched effective communicators inspire people, I have come to the conclusion that there is a kind of formula, which I call the Inspiration Equation, that comes into play. It works like this: What They Know + What They See + What They Feel = Inspiration
People who connect understand the same thing that actress Lisa Kirk knew when she said, “A gossip is one who talks to you about others; a bore is one who talks to you about himself; and a brilliant conversationalist is one who talks to you about yourself.”
As you prepare to communicate to others, you must let them know that you understand them and want to help them. You must learn their inspirational language and speak it to them. How do you do that? By asking these questions: What are they thinking?
“The most called-upon prerequisite of a friend is an accessible ear.” —MAYA ANGELOU
Good leaders are good listeners. To be most effective, they follow this pattern: listen, learn, and then lead.
Often it doesn’t take a big thing to encourage or inspire others. All it takes is a little thing that lets someone know you understand and care about them.
PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS OF THEM
Inspiring communicators always expect a lot from their listeners.
Because I believe the best in people, and I believe they can (and want to) change for the better. I’m convinced that all effective leaders and communicators possess this kind of positive quality.
“Management is about persuading people to do things they do not want to do, while leadership is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could.” —STEVE JOBS
When I communicate with people, I do something that I call putting a 10 on their heads. By that I mean that I see everyone as having the potential to be a “10” on a scale of 1 to 10. One of the reasons I do this is that I’m naturally positive.
When I encourage people one-on-one, I believe the best about them. As I sit down to work on a book, I envision readers embracing what I say and becoming better people as a result. When I speak, I believe listeners will respond in a positive way. I am challenged to give my best to others so they will give the best of themselves.
Best self
Everyone wants to be inspired. All people want someone to believe in them.
When people trust you, they will listen to you, and they will be open to being inspired by you.
The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The great teacher demonstrates.
people will not always remember what you said or what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel!
If you want to inspire people, there are three things you need in order to help them feel: PEOPLE NEED TO FEEL YOUR PASSION FOR THE SUBJECT AND THEM Vision without passion is a picture without possibilities. Vision alone does not inspire change. It must be strengthened by passion.
When you speak, do you have passion? Real passion is more than just an emotion that you whip up to get listeners excited. It comes from a much deeper place than that. If you’re not sure, the next time before you speak to people, ask yourself these four questions: Do I believe what I say? Has it changed me? Do I believe it will help others? Have I seen it change others? If you can answer yes to those questions, you’ll do more than just light a fire under people. You will build a fire within them! If you have that fire, it will ignite in others.
PEOPLE NEED TO FEEL YOUR GRATITUDE FOR THEM The final component needed to inspire people is gratitude— yours for your listeners. And
Of all the virtues, gratitude is probably the most neglected and least expressed.
Gratitude
“Silent gratitude isn’t much good to anyone.” —GLADYS STERN
To help listeners feel passionate, confident, and inspired, you must express gratitude. And to do that, you must first be a grateful person. You cannot give what you do not have. The good news is that gratitude is a quality that can be cultivated—no matter your circumstances.
It’s not enough to help someone feel good. Understanding changes minds. Action changes lives.
SAY THE RIGHT WORDS AT THE RIGHT TIME To take people from inspiration to action, you must put together the right words and deliver them at the right moment. Good leaders understand the importance of timing.
Law of Timing, which says, “When to lead is as important as what to do and where to go.” Timing is often the difference between success and failure in any endeavor.
A motivational speaker makes you feel good, but the next day you’re not sure why. A motivational teacher makes you feel good, and the next day you know why and take action. In other words, the first kind of communicator wants you to feel good, and the second wants you to do good. I
My desire is to help people move from “know how” to “do now.”
action plan to people based on the word ACT. I tell them, Put a letter “A” beside those things you learned that you need to Apply. Put a letter “C” beside those things you learned that you need to Change. Put a letter “T” beside those things you learned that you need to Teach.
“The way I like to measure greatness is . . . How many people can you make want to be better?” —WILL SMITH
you desire to connect with others, you must strive to inspire people. But don’t do that to make yourself or others feel better. Do it to make the world better. If you can inspire others, making the world better is within your reach.
What qualities help people to connect with you? Here is what they want to see: • A heart to serve—people need to know that you want to serve them. • A person of good values—show your values by words and action.
A helping hand—add value to others and always try to lift them up. • A caring spirit—people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. • A believing attitude—people migrate to those who believe in them.
People in a group want to know . . . • that you will go first and lead by example, • that you will only ask them to do what you have done or are willing to do, • that you will teach them to do what you have already done, • that their success is more important to you than your success, • that they will get credit for their accomplishments, and • that you will celebrate their success.
Credibility! Here’s how this works in any kind of relationship: The first six months—communication overrides credibility. After six months—credibility overrides communication.
