My conversations with clients this month have focused on pitching project ideas, persuading key stakeholders and building momentum for ideas within the business.  Often this is done remotely, where it’s not possible to control the attention and direction of the discussion.

Here’s what I noticed: extremely busy slides.  Now, I’ve written endlessly about the challenge and difficulty with this approach and yet, if we ‘have’ to use them, then let’s strengthen our impact by using the following tools:

1.       Always explain the context for the visuals first.  Otherwise, it’s a sea of numbers, charts and figures, which can be viewed and interpreted in multiple, different ways.

2.       Avoid, avoid, avoid presenting what looks like a report.  I can read for myself, thanks.  We add absolutely no value if what we present is effectively exactly what we’ve written on the slide.

3.       Use builds – and rehearse them – to break down visual density.

4.       Use ‘embedded commands’ i.e., direct the audience’s attention in terms of where to look.  Trust me, they’ll look where they are told to look.

5.       Create greater interest by interspersing appreciation, audience names, referencing their metrics and priorities to make your point powerfully resonate.  Otherwise, this message is all about you… and in fact it should always be all about the audience.

Until next time…

I talked last month about all the mistakes that are too commonly made and gave you 5 of the most common I see…

And yet… there are more…

1.       Failing to realise that you have a decision to make.  Do you want the audience to read the slide or listen to you?  Repeatedly, what I see is we’re communicating two different messages through two different channels.The part of the brain which processes audio information, is also the same part of the brain that processes visual information… and if we communicate to both simultaneously then what the audience experiences is called ‘cognitive overload’.  The brain can’t cope and so we default to one or the other.  Reading or listening.  So what?Make the slide visually easy to understand and then use your verbal communication to bring it alive.

2.       Reading the slides.  Insulting, depressing and extremely poor form.  Don’t do it.

3.       Too many slides for the time allowed.  All too often, the presenter doesn’t get to the end of the message because they’re trying to convey too much.

4.       A lack of objective for your presentation.  Updates, FYI, demonstrating your knowledge and brilliance is not the goal here.  Helping the audience to make decisions, take action or provide commitment is the only reason to present.  Otherwise, what’s the point of telling them?

5.       Relying on a lot of data to tell your story.  Data never tells the story.  We do.  It’s our job to convert the data to memorable messages which persuade the audience.

Until next time…

My conversations with clients this month have focused on presenting information more usefully.

Too many town halls, team meetings, project updates, sales meetings and more are filled with noise… a lot of talk, data, slides, visuals, writing… but much less clarity, rigour, focus on what needs to be communicated, debated, decided and acted on as a result.

We’ve all been there; not listening, doing other work, chatting to colleagues whilst someone else is presenting… the list of ‘bad habits’ goes on.

So, if you need to present/share/update anything to your colleagues where you must use visuals then please, please, please, can we avoid the following:

1.       Making your presentation look like a reading document.  There’s simply no point in doing this.  If you’re showing me something – should I read it or listen to you – because I can’t do both simultaneously.  Our association cortex in the brain becomes overwhelmed.  Less visual, more verbal is better and if it’s a document for pre-read, put the ‘talk track’ in the notes.

2.       Failing to set context immediately.  Why are you telling me this?Make this question your ‘north star’.  If you’re telling me all this to provide ‘an update’; then that’s just not good enough.  Why do I need an update?  Dial up the rigour on why I should care about what you’re saying.

3.       Just throwing a load of numbers at the audience.  Set context first before discussing numbers.  If you don’t frame the question/challenge/issue/priority before showing me lots of data, then I must work this all out for myself.  Again, I won’t because the association cortex is, once more, in meltdown.  I’m not listening, you’ve moved on, and the audience is now lost.

4.       Failing to help the audience know where to look at visual material.  If we don’t take responsibility for this, then we have no idea where our audience’s attention is focused, and so we’ve lost control.  Use ‘embedded commands.’  This is where you direct the audience where to look when showing them something.  Very effective for breaking down a complicated visual message to guide the audience through your narrative.  If you don’t, we’re all processing different things, at different speeds, whilst looking at the same visual.  It simply does not work.

5.       Believing our technical expertise will win the day!  Often it won’t because I don’t have your technical expertise and more importantly, I don’t care.  That’s your job, not mine.  Translate your expertise by explaining your visuals clearly, crisply, concisely to me so that I understand the relevant information easily and nothing more.  Avoid minutiae because most audiences don’t need it, don’t want it and are not going to understand or remember it anyway. 

Are these the only mistakes?  No.  More next month.  Let’s start with getting much better at avoiding all these.

Until next time….

Conducting professional relationships primarily through the written word is filled with hazards… and yes, whilst I understand that it’s not always practical to talk – if we want to build trust, ask for help, strengthen relationships and get things done, then we need to be aware that the written word in digital format is extremely difficult to get right.

We’re all busy; and we’d all rather be doing other things than trying to manage overflowing digital inboxes, so, if any of the following are habits which you recognise dear reader, stop them now.

1.   I’m a fan of the ‘reply everyone’, even when it’s to let the distribution list know that I’m not coming to Colin from Accounts’ leaving drinks, or that I won’t be contributing to Brenda from Facilities Management birthday whip round.

2.   I like the ‘see below’, ‘see attached’, ‘please read thread’ approach to email communication because after all, it’s much easier for me to do that than synthesise the essence of the situation to be more concise and compelling with my message.  Plus, it means I’ve actioned the email!

3.   I like detail, usually over more than one screen, lots of it, to demonstrate that I gave you all the information that you needed to do your job.

4.   Everything is urgent!  So, the ‘high priority’ button is my friend, because I want everyone else to action my emails right now.

5.   When it comes to the ‘ask’, I always say that my requests are ASAP, and then I helpfully send more ‘follow up’ emails every hour on the hour to see if you’ve done what I asked.  After all, I’m only trying to help!

It’s a new year and a time for new resolutions.  If you do any of the above,  I suggest you act to break these habits now.

Until next time….

Why are so many professionals still joining virtual calls off camera?  The only reason to join calls is to understand issues, make decisions, identify actions, and secure commitments.  In other words, we’re showing up to add value, serve the discussion and strengthen relationships.

Bringing our full attention, listening wholeheartedly, engaging our curiosity, intellect and creativity, sharing experience and solutions, being willing to put our hands up to help are all part of showing up to serve.

Joining ‘off camera’ is the first signal that we’re not prepared to do that.  Virtual meetings are not the place to complete tasks and ‘do other work’. 

And let’s consign to history the misconception around ‘multi-tasking’.  We cannot – and do not – multi-task.  Instead, what we do is ‘task switch’.

Leaders stand out for doing the right things, rather than blend in with everyone else for doing the wrong ones.  And turn your cameras on!

What more can you do now to show up to serve?

Until next time….

Leaders are in the business of communication and as you’ve seen me write on numerous, previous occasions, that means mastering the skills of concise, effective, persuasive messaging which serves the conversation and drives decisions. 

My conversations with clients this month have focused on the guaranteed reality of challenge, scrutiny, disagreement and how to prepare successfully for it.  Challenge is always good in business; it stretches our thinking, encourages creativity and supports increasing the rigour of decisions made.  However, it’s surprising how little effort is put into preparing for it.

Being persuasive means demonstrating grace under pressure, active listening, managing emotions, ‘taking the space’ in the conversation to gather thoughts, and then delivering a clear, crisp, compelling and non-emotional reply.  Sounds easy doesn’t it?  Of course it’s not in practice… and indeed it’s practice that we need to complete as part of our preparation.  Note the most common challenges that will come your way, organise an answer in three parts, making clear the ‘why’ and then rehearse and record on your phone to hear how you sound. 

Too often leaders ramble on… it’s not engaging, and it never persuades.And invite others to really stop and think.

Until next time….

What’s the most thought provoking question you’ve been asked at work this month?

Most of my discussions, reading and reflection with clients this month has focused on the communication skill of questions. When I ask this question of my clients, the most common response is a blank face, a furrowed brow… silence.

Curiosity – manifested in brilliant questions is a skill which, when we were little kids, we were utterly brilliant at, and plagued our parents, teachers and others with endless questions, every single day with them.

So what?

So, what’s true as we become adults; as we become more educated, more experienced, more elevated in our careers, then something happens in relation to questions – and it’s not good.  We just don’t ask enough of them.  Why not?That’s the natural first question to ask and the answers which I’ve heard are wide-ranging and complicated:

• “I don’t want to look stupid” (psychological safety)
• “I don’t want others to think I can’t do this role” (reputation)
• “I should know all this” (shame)
• “I don’t have time to engage with these people/this meeting” (overwhelmed)
• “I know all this” (delusional)
• “I’m typically right on this” (even more delusional)

My point is this: managers have all the right answers; leaders have all the right questions.  We reach for our phones endlessly during the day.  We should think of cultivating our curiosity by reaching for questions in the same way as we reach for our phone.  Cultivate a set of ‘killer questions’ which act in the service of the conversation, the ideas on the table, and the decisions in front of the team. 

And invite others to really stop and think.

Until next time….

My conversations with clients this month have taken me across the globe; working with graduates to board room executives, working in a range of different industries.  Some themes have evolved which prompts me to share what works well… and what to avoid. 

As always, and as a disclaimer… the theory of communication is easy… the practice of it is not.  This is about rigour; that’s the challenge.  Doing this well, whether we’re prepared or not, whether the audience is receptive or not, whether it’s our area of expertise of not, being a brilliant communicator in the hybrid world of work today means:

1. Replace Speed with Specificity: too often the pace of discussion is very quick with almost no ‘thinking time’ before the speaking starts. As a result, the length of contributions is too long and not sufficiently relevant.  Instead, slow down, pause, reflect and then comment in a specific and relevant way.
   
   
2. Replace Data Density with Decisiveness:  A wall of data is just that… a wall.It overwhelms and confuses the audience.  Decide what your message is and then decide the most compelling data around which to convey your story.
   
   
3. Replace Being Clever with Being Curious:  Managers have all the right answers; leaders have all the right questions.  Proving what you know all the time persuades no-one.  Ask more; tell less.

What can you dial up now?

Until next time….

Several high potential talent development initiatives this month have prompted me to consider how brilliant communicators give brilliant feedback.  I call feedback ‘the F word in leadership’ and I refer to it whether commenting on strengths or gaps.  Building trust, creating a culture of ‘psychological safety’ and getting the timing right are fundamental to the recipients of feedback feeling helped, valued, supported, and not harmed, diminished, beaten.

One of the biggest gaps my clients and I have been discussing is when the right moment comes to open our mouths and speak, it can still all go horribly wrong.  What works and what doesn’t?

There’s a rigour here which all leaders need to improve.  Be generous, and consistent with giving feedback, as well as open, receptive, and curious to receiving it yourself.

Until next time….

It’s not only the fictional character Superman who has superpowers; we all do. 

My conversations with clients recently have focused on encouraging leaders around the world to be curious about their superpowers.  What are we talking about?  These are the things which all of us do effortlessly, brilliantly, almost imperceptibly, often without even realising it, and without even really understanding how we do it; we just do it.  The result?  Others appreciate our superpowers deeply.

In a fast paced, intense, urgency-biased, post-Covid business world, it’s very easy – and completely understandable – to focus exclusively on the ‘reds’, the ‘deltas’, the problems, the issues, and the gaps which we and our teams have and look to fix them.  That’s understandable of course.  However if we’re going to lead more effectively, engage more effectively, communicate more effectively, inspire more effectively and strengthen relationships more effectively, then we need to understand what we’re really, really, really good at, and be curious about how to use it, to serve the conversation, to improve a professional relationship, to overcome a challenge, to remove a barrier, to make progress, to increase the engagement and satisfaction of our customers, our colleagues, our team and ourselves.

Leadership is a relationship business first and foremost, and that means leaning into your strengths, your superpowers, for the benefit of everyone.

And if you’re not sure what your superpowers are?  Start asking those whom you trust to share… and you might well be surprised as to what you hear.

Until next time….