Good at what you do, but struggling with your communication skills? Igotchu! 😎
Double header...
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A double-header this week. As the Artemis II orbited the earth, the crew held a press conference, at the end of which the pilot, Victor Glover was asked for his thoughts from space on Easter Sunday. His first words in response were that he did not have anything prepared, which, if you've heard me talk about the importance of your speech opening, you will know is a terrible way to start. But then he delivered the most eloquent short speech about the beautiful oasis in the universe that is Planet Earth and how critical it was for human beings to live together in peace and harmony on the special planet that God had created for us. He spoke for just 1 minute but his words moved his crew members to applaud. When you are called to speak on short or no notice, it is very easy to suffer a brain freeze and end up rambling. The key is to find one theme, one idea, one focus, and build your words around that. Victor chose a theme about the beauty of the earth. And once he had that theme, it was easy for him to speak around that subject because there are so many ideas that hang off that single theme: the perspective you get from space; that we should treat earth as special; cultures should live in harmony etc. So, let's say you are at a board meeting and out of the blue, the CFO calls on you to give an update about your department's performance, it would be easy to get flustered and ramble. But, if you choose a theme to build your response around, e.g. we're turning the corner, then your brain will immediately sort your thoughts into ideas that speak to that theme ie last year costs were out of control, but now we are on top of it; attrition rates have halved; we got to the final round of the latest tender etc Rather than trying to think about 17 different ways you could answer, pick one theme, then build your talk around that. And the Mis-Communicator of the Week Award goes to Melania Trump for her bizarre speech at the White House, in which she announced that the rumours linking her to Jeffrey Epstein must stop! Now, if you are saying to yourself, 'I didn't know she had anything to do with Epstein', you are not alone. No one did. But you can be sure now that every one is asking about it, and the press are investigating. In 2003 Barbara Streisand sued a photographer to remove an aerial photograph of her home from his online photo collection. Before her lawsuit, the image had been downloaded a total of 6 times. In the month after Streisand filed her lawsuit, the image was viewed over 400,000 times in one month! Her attempt to hide her home just drew far more attention to it. She would have been better off making no complaint about it at all. This is now popularly known as 'The Streisand Effect'. No doubt Melania is trying to head off a news story that is about to hit the presses. But the truth is she should have remembered the Streisand Effect and simply said nothing. Always assess whether silence is the better response! ​ Kolarele |
Build your Communication SuperSkills
Good at what you do, but struggling with your communication skills? Igotchu! 😎
This week, a massive fire ripped through and destroyed a warehouse in North London. The warehouse was home to numerous small businesses, one of which was a brand creating beautiful interior products with West African designs, called Eva Sonaike. Imagine watching your life’s work go up in flames and knowing that nothing would be salvageable. Devastating! It would be easy to wallow in regret and self pity, but that isn’t how Eva is built. Tears? Yes. Disbelief? Of course. But also an unshakable...
There's a famous scene in the first season of the West Wing. Things haven't been going well for President Bartlett and his administration, mainly because he is too cautious to really fight for what he believes. Finally exasparated, he makes the decision to forget about the politics of reelection and speak up for what he believes. His chief of staff relieved that the President has finally decided to stop holding back, writes down an edict to every member of the White House staff that reads:...
Sometimes it really is just about looking the part! Communicator of the Week Award goes to the Carters (Jay-Z, Beyonce, Blue Ivy) for their stunning look at the Met Gala event this week. Of course, communication is primarily about what you say and how you say it, but that doesn't mean that how you look is irrelevant. I recommend to all my clients to have a go to look for their speeches and presentations. Think of it like armour that makes you feel like you are in control. And The Carters...