The presentations were surely different, and had different goals, but they did share some important attributes.
One of the main things they had in common was the level
of comfort each speaker displayed. Jobs’ presentations,always seems very informal and unscripted. Make no mistake, however; he prepares like crazy. And I’m not even going to go into the beauty and simplicity of the slides.
Jobs is also known for stagecraft. His
comfortable, modern leather chair (Corbusier?) communicated -– well -– a nice,
comfortable, modern place to sit with your nice, new, comfortable, modern iPad. It’s as if we were in his
Cupertino living room (or maybe his media room). Though this one was somewhat lower key than usual, Steve
Jobs always shows his passion for his products (though he might want to moderate his
use of superlatives).
Another sign of Jobs’ confidence and authority is the
ease with which he turns the stage over to other members of his team. He
shares the spotlight even though they are much less accomplished speakers.
He understands this is on-the-job training.
President Obama seemed much more at ease and comfortable this time.
He’s been in office for a year and has begun to warm to the role of speaker-in-chief. In this venue,
the stage does not vary and neither does the stagecraft (that would be
something, though, hmmmm…). There are, however, small, but significant
adjustments that can be made. One modification was the position of his chin. His
habit has been to keep his chin raised. To the average person, this communicates
arrogance, aloofness and even talking down. This time, for much of the speech,
it was lowered as if to say, “We’re in this together; I’m one of you.”
There was also a healthy sprinkling of humor, particularly the self-directed kind. Self-directed humor is one of the best ways to connect with an audience. We like people who can laugh at themselves, which takes confidence and authority and welcomes the audience. His voice, as always, was rich and resonant,
though a bit sing-song (a repetitive pattern of vocal expression). He actually showed more passion (this is something about which I have been highly critical of him).
I do wish he’d get away from those darn teleprompters.
Turning his head back and forth so much made me think of Wimbledon. If he’s
looking for a game-changer, maybe next year he can work from notes and, as a
result, truly speak from his heart. How powerful that would be.
Here are the takeaways:
Speaking is on-the-job training; you cannot get
comfortable unless you do it. A lot. If you’ve got a team, give them a chance
in the spotlight.
Stagecraft is important. Props can help immensely
to communicate the message.
Use humor. There are lots of resources – funny
articles, etc., but self-directed is best.
As someone who has had the honor and pleasure of working
with celebrities, I am always glued to the awards shows. The recent Golden
Globes provided a fascinating opportunity to watch and observe public speaking
and presentation in a very high stakes, high-pressure environment.
At the top of my list of fabulous acceptance speeches was
Meryl Streep (video starts at about 2:00). Her performance was magical. Her remarks were unscripted, but not
unprepared. She was humble, funny, and very, very authentic. She exudes
confidence and presence. I was especially struck by her tribute to her mother,
describing her as anti-gloom and doom and her frank admission that she,
herself, was not like that. This was an example of the type of self-disclosure
I strongly advocate as a way to connect with an audience. It was not an
intimate detail, but added just enough information to allow her admirers feel
closer to her. Brilliant.
Importantly, we must remember that Streep is an experienced
performer and acceptor of awards. She embodied the maxim, Practice + Experience
= Spontaneity.
A gifted actor and, now, director, Barrymore has been in
the business since she was a young child and overcome significant obstacles
along the way. Although she may not have expected to win, she should have
prepared nonetheless. Better performances could have further solidified the public view
of her as a major Hollywood player. Instead, the addled nature of her remarks and
uncertain body language had me recalling her years of struggle, which is
something, I can only imagine, she would like to put behind her.
Fortunately, the performances will not seriously undermine
her image, as she has more than proven herself as someone worthy of significant
admiration. For someone with less star power or for the average person, a
performance like that could be lethal.
I recently worked with a COO who had to substitute
for the ailing CEO and keynote the institution’s annual meeting. It was not
clear until the last minute whether the CEO would be delivering the presentation. That didn’t stop this COO from preparing well in advance. He blew them
away.
Here are the takeaways:
1.Even
if you are not sure you will be performing, you must always be ready for your
close-up.
2.If
your performance contradicts your accomplishments, it will be unnecessarily
distracting or worse.
3.A
little self-disclosure goes a long way in connecting with your audience. A
personal story often does the trick.
Here’s the other takeaway: Celebrities are not that
different from the rest of us, after all.
P.S.: I’ll be tweeting about the celebrity acceptance speeches during
the Oscars on Sunday, March 7, on ABC. The focus will be on
technique.Should be very
entertaining, lots of fun, and a great learning opportunity for us all.Follow me and join in the conversation!
Gosh, I wish I'd seen Adam Lambert's performance
at the American Music Awards. Instead, I woke up to an uproar -- faces in
crotches, girls on leashes, big, fat, same-sex kisses! Oh my.
As a former professional performer, I know that
during a big appearance like Adam's, the adrenaline is flowing. If you're well
prepared, e.g., if you've rehearsed and rehearsed and rehearsed to the point
you could do it in your sleep, combined with the adrenaline rush, there is an
amazing type of freedom that settles in during actual performance. Sounds like
that's what happened with Adam. He said as much in interviews, post AMA, though
he did not explain it in this way.
Some people were shocked, shocked! by his moves.
I get that. I have young kids and if I'd let them stay up because they were
fans of Adam, I might have had a similar reaction, though I don't think it
would stop me from buying this truly brilliant performer's albums.
What it mostly showed was Adam's lack of
experience. And he continues to show it in his post-performance
"reputation management" interviews. Whatever you thought of him then
or now, there are a couple of lessons about public performance skills and
professional image making we can take away:
1.Rehearse like Adam: If
you have to give a presentation or do a speech, rehearse until you can’t stand
it anymore. What? You don’t have enough time? Then settle for mediocrity or
worse. Aim for the freedom Adam – and every great performer – experiences.
There is no greater feeling and no better marketing tool.
2.Know Your Audience: Adam
claims that due to the late hour, he really didn’t think about the possibility
that kids might be watching. (BTW, ABC needs to take some responsibility here.
They were blindsided? Give me a break!) Next time, I’m guessing he’ll be more
cognizant of that vital element.
3.When You Err, Apologize: No
excuses, please. No one cares about the double-standard, or what Brittany,
Madonna or Eminem have gotten away with. It is YOUR moment and you are alone.
Own up, take responsibility, move on. I have said this so many times, I’m
getting bored with myself, but if you want it to go away, just APOLOGIZE. (And
don’t make it one of those weasely, “If I offended anyone…” mea culpas.)
One more thing: it’s possible Adam’s
push-the-envelope performance was on purpose and he knew exactly what he was
doing. I can vividly remember seeing Queen in concert with Freddy Mercury and
thinking, “whoa, this guy is a complete sex machine.” He was unbelievably good.
Of course, he wasn’t doing what Adam did, but somehow I think Freddy would
approve.
Go Adam. You’re so talented. Take good care of
your voice. Be nice to your audience. Remember who buys your music.
The words in my title are borrowed from Joseph N. Welch, who is renowned for uttering them and others at the HUAC hearings led by the notorious Senator Joseph McCarthy. They seem appropriate for Mr. West.
I have read West's pseudo-apology. It's one of those "yes, but..." apologies that demonstrates his lack of self-awareness as well as indicates he is not really sorry. I take issue in particular with his line:
"I gave my award to Outkast when they deserved it over me. That's what it is. I'm not crazy yall (y'all), I'm just real."
Real rude, he must have meant. Nasty, even And very immature. Contrast that with the classy Beyonce Knowles inviting Taylor Swift to share the stage with her during her award. Could we feel the love any more than at that precious moment?
I hate to admit it, but West is just a product of what we've become as a society. Whether we're watching what passes for political debate these days or the unbelievable vitriol directed at individuals with whom we might disagree, to cable news and talk shows, the discourse is becoming unhinged. My father used to call it "diarrhea of the mouth." Though I don't think he could have imagined what would be coming out of people's mouths today.
In my speeches on persuasion, I mention the 3 critical skills that almost no one has anymore: Empathy, Courtesy and Apology (my Fast Company blogs here and here). By practicing these three things, maybe we could begin to bring back some decency.
Last Wednesday, I spent most of my day at a big sports arena, watching the likes of Joe Montana, Colin Powell, Rudy Giuliani, Laura Bush, and Steve Forbes each stand up and deliver a motivational speech. Then, that evening, President Obama gave his much awaited address on health reform to a joint session of Congress. It was a very good day. (Watch my video on the topic.)
I didn't know what to expect at the sports arena. Having only seen most of them in the context of politics or policy, I was expecting more of the same. I didn't get it. Instead, each one of these icons stood up to motivate the crowd. There was no overt political message.
This was a big audience -- the XL Center in Hartford was packed (it's a sports arena). The stage was positioned in the middle of the arena floor and looked like a boxing ring without the ropes. The men used the entire stage, walking around it, making sure to spend time with all 360 degrees of audience. Some used a handheld mic, others a lapel mic and still others a headset. The handheld worked best, picking up the deeper and warmer tones of the voice. The least effective was the lapel mic because it doesn't follow the mouth and can therefore lose volume when the speaker's head turns away.
They all told lots of stories -- personal stories from their personal and professional lives. Stories of growing up, family stories, war stories. All the stories had a point and all were very entertaining and, more often than not, funny. What was really striking, though, was the extent of their physical animation as they were telling their stories; they bent down, reached up, twisted from side to side. Their gestures were really big. Their stories were so much more effective as a result.
Laura Bush stood at a podium. I half expected it to rotate as she was speaking. She read from a script. As a result, she was not as effective as the others, but she was still good. She was warm and very funny. She also told stories that were great to hear about her life with her uniquely political family, about her daughters and about George. Laura Bush has also learned to capitalize on her presence, not only as a former first lady, but as someone who knows who she is and is comfortable with it. She looked great, by the way. They all did.
Later on, President Obama delivered his health reform speech. This was the best speech he has ever given. Obama knew the stakes were high, he knew he had a lot to overcome and he did.
So many things worked well: his voice, his posture, gestures and general countenance. It was also very well-written and rehearsed. We know he reads his remarks from a teleprompter. The rhythm was very tight. Obama, too, told several stories designed to support his points and make them come alive. There was an emotional component present that had gone missing since he was elected. This helped him be very persuasive. I believe his speech changed the tenor of the debate and, if he and his allies play their cards right, will help them to get the bill they want passed.
All these speakers are different, but all are successful in his or her own way. They are all leaders who recognize that oral presentation or public speaking is a leadership skill.
Here are the takeaways:
Develop your own unique style. You have one.
Take and command the stage like you own it.
Tell a lot of stories.
Make your stories come alive by moving your body and your hands. Make them big.
It was a very good day.
Ruth Sherman Associates LLC / High Stakes Communication / www.ruthsherman.com
I went organic the minute I moved into my suburban home 19 years ago. I didn’t want my young children playing on a lawn that looked great, but had hidden within it poisonous herbicides and pesticides. At first, the lawn and flowerbeds were shocked. Parts of the lawn became scraggly and thin and certain flowers died, never to return.
Within about 3 years, however, the lawn and flowerbeds began looking much more robust. Over the next years, I figured out how to take care of them, what made them happy, which plants were a good fit and which ones wouldn’t make it no matter what I did and no matter how much I may have wanted them.
Of course, the weeds pop up. In the lawn, the trick is having it be so healthy that it crowds most weeds out. In the flowerbeds, it’s about constant weeding and deadheading.
Crabgrass is one of the weeds that gets pulled; it’s ugly and will take over the lawn. In the spring, when the bright yellow dandelions are silhouetted against the dark green of the lawn, it looks beautiful. They are signs of lawn and garden health. They can stay.
I think we need to make the workplace more organic. To have a healthy work environment, you need to carefully tend to it. Leaders must have a passion for their business and also for their employees. They must make sure employees have what they need to do their jobs and help the company grow. There needs to be openness, which serves as the fertilizer for new ideas.
What to do about the employees who are talented but difficult? I think they’re like dandelions. Carefully managed, these workers can add great value. They can even be trained and cultivated to be more cooperative.
Managers must understand, however, that if an employee is not a good fit, is, perhaps, talented, but not talented enough to overshadow the difficult-ness, managing him or her will sap all time and energy. They are like crabgrass and have to go.
A perfect garden is not a healthy garden. Neither is a perfect workplace.
I got a tweet from André Rieu, the well-known violinist and Johann Strauss Orchestra conductor. He was aghast at Michael Jackson’s deathand felt what many did of course. Because André is a musician and performer, however, he felt an especially profound loss. So am I and thus, so did I. Jackson was a prodigious talent and his effect on culture is permanent. As Obi-wan said, “I felt a great disturbance in The Force.”
Michael was a huge force, a superb communicator and storyteller. After all, performing is all about communication, inspiring and moving audiences by generating emotional reactions through (customarily) voice, movement, appearance and content.
As Jackson was a leader in the pop music world, great business leaders are also great communicators who know their job is to influence, motivate and persuade. And giftedness is only part of the story. Great communicators work hard at it, just as Michael did. Following are some of the rules they follow to hone their craft and skill:
Passion: Michael was nothing if not passionate and great leaders are the same. Not just passionate, though, but able to SHOW that passion wherever they are and to whomever they come into contact with. Corporate culture wants to expunge passion from the workplace. Don’t let it.
Planning/Preparation: Years went into planning, preparing and executing shows of the magnitude of Jackson’s.While that is not necessary for most business communicators, the successful ones know that every contact with others is an opportunity – and they prepare for them all. It's also part of their business plan, their long-term strategy.
Practice: This is the magic bullet, the one thing that great communicators like Michael Jackson know above all else.For an upcoming show, he would rehearse and practice for weeks and weeks, many hours every day, every note, lyric and move coordinated to perfection. His goal was to mesmerize us. When you are mesmerized by a great business communicator, know that it’s no accident.
Dress & Adornment: This was part of Michael’s brand and it should be part of yours, too. Unfortunately, standards have gone way down in recent years. They're also confusing. But every great business leader I know creates a look. Think Steve Jobs in his trademark jeans and black turtleneck. It doesn’t have to be a suit or a dress, but it does have to be consistent with the image you want to project.
Creativity: Michael Jackson created a unique world of music and performance art. The great business communicators and leaders incorporate artistic flourishes into their outreach because art and creativity are one of the few ways left to differentiate. They try new things, create humanizing workplaces and environments for success. They are nontraditional and lead in unexpected and delightful ways.
Storytelling: Great songs tell stories and Michael Jackson was a consummate storyteller. Great business communicators are always collecting stories and incorporating them. Stories make communication come alive like nothing else.Stories you can tell occur every day. Don’t let them get away.
Precision/Execution: How in the world did Michael Jackson work that stage for 2 hours, everything perfectly synchronized? He was intentional and precise and he knew how to execute. He had as his goal to give his audiences a night to remember. The great business communicators are precise and intentional in their goals and executiion, too.
Rhythm: We know Michael Jackson had rhythm to spare. But, did you know great business communicators also have rhythm? It’s in their understanding of when to push and when to pull back. It’s in their public speaking when they pepper their talks with stories in just the right places, when they pause to let their audiences take in what they’ve said. Rhythm keeps things moving along.
Collaboration: Michael Jackson didn’t do it alone. He couldn’t, and neither can great business communicators. They need strong teams consisting of members whose opinions they respect and trust. MAJOR TAKEAWAY: The other half of communicating is listening, a critical communication skill that has become increasingly rare. Michael listened to his audiences.
Why is all this important? Because it fosters connection, the holy grail of communication.
Thank you, Michael Jackson. I’ll miss you.
Ruth Sherman Associates LLC / High Stakes Communication / www.ruthsherman.com
I’ve just gotten done reading a couple of new books. The first, Where to Go From Here, by Douglas Campbell III, is a primer on how to manage your business -- and yourself. To Campbell, the personal is one with the professional.
A well-known business coach, Campbell bills himself as “TheSuccess Coach.” He has worked with loads of business, mostly small to medium-sized, and acts as a one-man Board of Directors, helping them manage and grow. With an MBA from The Darden School of Business at UVa, he’s got thetechnical chops.
What I really like about this book is that it is filled with questionnaires, surveys and other “how-to-get-there-from-here” tools. They are introduced sequentially so that they each build on the ones that come before. There are also many examples taken from the author’s experiences that are very motivational and serve to let the reader know he/she is not alone.
Finally, at the end, after you’ve done the exercises, you should come out with a much better understanding of your strengths and weaknesses and, most importantly, whether you’re compatible with your chosen field and whether it makes you happy.
This is a very accessible read, logically laid out and itall makes sense. And if you don’t own a business, don’t let that stop you. It’s a book anyone can use to help find lifelong work that fits who they are.
Still throwing your hands up in frustration working with the latest people to enter the workforce? Then Bruce Tulgan’s Not Everyone Gets A Trophy isfor you. Tulgan writes knowledgeably about Gen Y-ers and how the older generations can work together with them productively and, ultimately, happily. The big secret Tulgan shares is that they just didn’t learn the things you and I did and so we have to teach them and help them along the way. Hmmm, doesn’t sound so different from any new generation entering the workplace. Nonetheless, based on my own conversations with those who manage these young people, there does seem to be some extra angst that is included in the package.
Tulgan provides numerous stories from the front.I have to admit that several of them made my jaw drop. It’s not that I’m surprised about the cultural differences between generations, but that some of these younger people are so unbelievably clueless and rude! Of course, I probably shouldn’t be surprised because this is ageneration that grew up socializing on the Internet. They simply never had enough experience and practice reading the nonverbal cues that are only available face-to-face or, at least, by phone. But, didn’t their parents teach them anything? As a matter of fact, Tulgan insists that Gen Y’s managers engage in “in loco parentis.”
Unfortunately for Tulgan, the current state of the economy puts these Gen Y-ers in the one-down position. Although companies are still hiring, and entry level positions are the most plentiful, there still is a recession on, so employers can afford to be much choosier than 9 or 10 months ago when this book was likely still being written. And, of course, there will be a recovery and a newly robust hiring market. So once you get past the first couple ofchapters, there are some very useful takeaways. Among these are providing context, being direct, and letting these new, inexperienced workers have some power and authority (as appropriate).
As the clever title implies, the author knows whom he’s dealing with. One of the subchapter headings says it all: “When You Are At Work, Everyone But You is Your Customer.” It’s that basic.
The singing sensation Susan Boyle who recently auditioned for Britain’s Got Talent, a Simon Cowell creation, has taken the world by storm.
I first got wind of this phenomenon when a friend of mine sent me the link last week. If you haven’t seen it yet, take a look at the YouTube video below, then continue reading.
I have written a lot about how the way physical looks, dress and adornment communicate significant information about us to others. That’s not the subject of this post. What strikes me is that with the endless fixation on news about Octo-Mom, or this or that celebrity’s latest missteps, we are moved by the story of Susan Boyle. Or the story of the Captain of the Maersk Alabama. Or the story of Captain “Sully” Sullenberger, pilot of the airliner that water-landed in the Hudson River. Here are ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Brave things. Average people going about their workaday lives who suddenly are seen as above average.
As my astute virtual assistant, Tassey Russo, told me, as we have gone about simplifying our lives in these difficult times, we also are more drawn to simpler narratives, stories of people who look threats and danger squarely in the eye and shoo it away. We have become exhausted by the negative energy on display almost daily by people who are cowardly, tone-deaf or utterly self-involved. Compare Ms. Boyle and the two captains to Maurice “Ace” Greenburg, the former disgraced CE O of AIG, who when testifying to Congress a couple of weeks ago, refused to accept any responsibility and blamed others for the company’s catastrophic straits. We’re looking for inspiration and motivation and these good people provide it.
They are the real role-models. Their self-worth is not inflated or measured by money and material things. Our admiration for the trappings of wealth and those who promote it is properly transferred to those who are modest and have an accurate understanding of their abilities; they know what they know, how to succeed in extremely difficult circumstances. They are truly deserving of our admiration.
Furthermore, we see ourselves in these people and secretly wonder if called upon, would we step up? We hope we would, but we question it. (They’re just like us. Or are they?) We are plagued by self-doubt because we’re somewhat out of practice; for too long, we have admired and emulated the wrong people for the wrong things.
These people are true leaders and heroes. There are many of them all around us. Let’s find and recognize them.
Ruth Sherman Associates LLC / High Stakes Communication / www.ruthsherman.com
P.S. And, Susan Boyle is a talented singer. I was a voice major in college -- I know what I know, too.
I was sitting next to my classmate, Chris, on Saturday morning. It was the last day of our fabulous 8-week FastTrac* Growth Venture course that is sponsored by a local non-profit, the Women’s Business Development Center. Just to be clear, Chris is a guy.
One of our state senators was there to deliver certificates of completion to each one of us, so we all had to stand up and do our elevator pitch. One woman mentioned that she was “in transition.” Chris got a funny look on his face. He turned to me and said, “In transition? What does that mean?”
I realized at that moment that we were experiencing a classic gender difference in communication; in fact, I had never heard a man say such a thing. Smiling, I said to Chris he didn’t know what it meant because he doesn’t attend any women’s networking groups (naturally). Then I defined it for him and asked him what men say. “I’m looking for a job or I need a job or I’m out of work,” was his response. How direct, I thought, no pussyfooting or beating around the bush. Of course, I also thought, what’s up with us women when it comes to speaking directly?
Women tend to be indirect in their speech and this can, at times, significantly weaken their efforts at communication. One habit is called hedging. Two examples of hedging are:
“I know you may not like this idea, but I would like to recommend_________.” “This may sound stupid, but I think we should try_________”
Well, that certainly sounds authoritative! The hedges are at the beginning of the statements. They immediately weaken what is being said. Translation: "I'm totally insecure and don't know what I'm doing." No matter how you're feeling, leave the hedge out. Start with the word, "I" after the comma.
Then we have qualifiers:
“I would kind of like to lead this effort.” “It’s sort of an ok idea.”
What the heck is she talking about? In the first statement, “kind of “qualifies the statement and not for the better. Leave it out and see what happens. Go ahead, say it out loud. Ahhh, that sounds much stronger. In the second example there are two problems, “sort of” and “ok.” Women must be able to express a negative view if that is what an idea deserves. Anything else guarantees confusion and worse: the work won’t get done.
And if a woman doesn’t learn to directly ask for a job, she might not get one.
Ruth Sherman Associates LLC / High Stakes Communication / www.ruthsherman.com
*FastTrac is a wonderful series of programs that are offered all over the country. If you are looking to start or grow a business, find a place to take this course. There is also a FastTrac program for technology ventures.
