HOW TO GIVE A SHORT LEADERSHIP TALK

I’ve been watching my leaders lately. Especially the ones I’ve heard talk before (I already know their message). Here’s what I’ve noticed makes a great leadership talk. Short, simple – significant.

Be yourself.

Share a personal yet relevant story to connect with them as a person. We all still love and need stories, even though we’ve long since left the kindergarten story time circle.

START by thanking the group.

Tell the group before you start that you’ll be saving time to answer their questions at the end (prompting people to think of questions at the start will lead to there actually being questions at the end.)

LIMIT your message to 3 – 5 points or goals.

Show how “IT” is important… to them, to you, to the organization. Whatever your “IT” is.

Illustrate a way (or two) that the group is the best. Not just good. THE best! “You’re the best / you’ve done the best with meeting this new challenge…” Remember, be sincere. Go on to say (if it’s true), “I took your idea and learned from it and am using it elsewhere.”

Reinforce positive behavior, giving examples of what you see the group doing to attain your 3 – 5 top goals. IGNORE ANY AND ALL ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.

Thank the group for their time.

Ask for questions. When you field them, always ask, “Did I answer your question?” It’s easy for leaders to get lost in business-speak, or think the question relates to a “big picture” issue when, in fact, it does not.

Thank the group (yes, again.)

Persistence

Quiet patience and persistence - that's all it took! Well, that and ignoring her dad the naysayer (yours truly). –photo credit: Taryn Baillie

A SMALL NOTE

A couple of days ago a very small envelope appeared in my “hopper” at work. It was personally addressed in a familiar hand. The short note was from a close business associate with whom I’ve been collaborating. Although succinct, it was none the less powerful. To describe its content would require I paint the full background of our work together. Suffice to say that we have embarked on a series of projects that is mutually challenging, and therefore a bit daunting, but certainly exhilarating. The note’s power came from the personal sharing it contained.

I’ve saved the handwritten note, of course. I can reflect again on the contents and, in the future, it will serve as a window to this point in time.

Interestingly enough, the post mark read: “Let us dare to read, think, speak and write.” --John Adams

http://poweroftheletter.com/

Winning TWO "best in the Navy" Environmental Awards

We’re winners, twice over! Best Natural Resources Program AND best Restoration Clean-Up Program in the U.S. Navy world wide!
http://www.ocregister.com/news/environmental-award-base-1994589-beach-re

It seems incredible. Why?

Why do we not believe that we’ve won? Probably because we do not believe we can win! It seems too huge - to be best in class. I recall looking at the winners and thinking that we could do that only if… or, how do I get started to accomplish such a laudable goal?

I can now report from the inside perspective of an award winner. At a certain point, we got ourselves to believe that we were worthy and could (would) win. To get to that point we started humbly. We asked ourselves what contributions we were currently making.

We jotted our achievements down, weekly, monthly, five minutes at a time, no matter how small or silly they seemed. We took pictures. We shared our weekly and monthly accomplishment lists with each other and our bosses almost like, “lookie what I did mom / dad!” We also started to see better what others were doing to help us in our quest. We started to view all accomplishments, no matter how small or who made them, as a meaningful contribution.

Then, when it came time for the dreaded annual performance review, we dipped into the stream of accomplishment lists and lo and behold we became believers!

We'll be in D.C. June 3rd at the Navy Memorial for the award presentation. Come join us!

Little Contributions

Pictured here is the Hughes Middle School Symphony String Orchestra playing at Disneyland February 6th. As a reward for their hard work all year, and for putting on a show, they are treated to a day at the happiest place on earth. The audience "crowds" consist of a sparse set of passersby and a few that pause for a song or two. Normally, such a small and distracted crowd might be very discouraging to performers.

There is something more here that is unseen to the performers. What I’ve see the past two years standing in the back of the pavilion and along the walkway is how their small contribution may have a very positive effect to the listeners.

Last year there were a few parents that stopped with their small child and listened to the piece… and pointed out the instruments, etc. They only paused a couple of minutes. I wondered what impression that may have left. May-be none at all. Then I thought perhaps that child, or even that parent had never seen a symphony string orchestra in real life. Where so much is digitally created, I’m sure that many do not realize how music is actually created. Music was not part of my home growing up. And THEN to see a group of young people (just a couple of years beyond the childhood of elementary school) playing flawlessly, how astonishing! And how empowering if the parent or child thought, “you mean kids can make music like that?!"

This year an older woman stopped to listen with her husband. “oh my, how beautiful!” she said over and over again to her husband. From her tone, I could tell that she was very moved and that words to fully express her emotions escaped her, for they were in the music.

Often, we never realize the what contributions we make every day, or how those contributions may influence someone to a grow or choose a different path. How empowering to know how we all can make a positivie difference.

Now What

Just setting things up to start bloggin'.

One of my most favorite places. Crater Lake, Orgeon.