Author: Chris

Create a resonating speech

Why: Connect your audience with you

How: Structure your speech and take care of reactions

What: I recently saw more than 40 startup speeches in a morning session and I was surprised on the number of information that could be triggered in just 1 minute. I was also surprised that only few knew the three key success factors of a speech.

  1. Know your intention of your speech. Is-it to get a prize, find an associate, sell your product to your audience, …?
  2. Start with a Why, then follow by the How and finish with the What. Simon Sinek explains it here.
  3. Ensure you connect with the Heart, the Hand and the Head of your audience. The famous speeches of Martin Luther King and John Fitzgerald Kennedy used these 3 components. Why not you?

When you play 2 and 3, see how the match makes sense: Why => Heart, How => Hand, What => Head.

Last, let’s make sure you get enough time to pause and checkout the reactions of your audience. Especially if your topic could make Heart of others vibrating so much. Breath 5 seconds, and continue.

Why not trying it?

Leave your mobile at home

Why: Understand your dependency

How: Tomorrow, turn off your mobile and leave it at home

What: While mobile is usually our adult blanket, we all know how difficult it is to live one hour without it. In this experience, imagine that tomorrow you will leave it at home the full day!! It is important that you turn it off so your pets won’t be disturbed.

You may have to notify people that will expect news from you and you may have to plan things in advance.

Once you’re out, checkout regularly how you feel with that. What’s different when you’re alone, when you’re with strangers (like in commute), or when you have a coffee with your colleagues or friends?

Once you’re back home, write on your mobile all the things you did without him. Maybe that could be the beginning of a blog or a book.

Why not trying it?

Slow down before committing

Why: Improve your focus

How: Understand consequences of your commitments by asking simple questions before saying Yes

What: Saying Yes too easily can often be due to our company culture or our personal drivers (like “Please Others”).

But saying Yes to something means saying to No to few other things.

Here are couple of questions that can help you with being curious about a new request. Customize them with your own.

  • Why are you asking me?
  • Whom else have you asked?
  • When you say this is urgent, what do you mean?
  • According to what standard does this need to be completed? By when?
  • If I couldn’t do all of this, but could do just a part, what part would you have me do?
  • What do you want me to take off my plate so I can do this?

Why not trying it?

Source: The Coaching Habits – Michael Bungay Stanier

Pomodoro

Why: Eliminate distractions and keep focus

How: Challenge yourself to stay on a unique topic for 25 minutes

What: When you have a huge work of job to be done, cut it into small pieces and give yourself 25 minutes to deliver first piece. Then take a 5 min break and repeat it again. Repeat it 4 times and then give you a longer break to refresh your brain.

You can use a simple countdown on your mobile or an online one.

I usually notify my near colleagues that I am in a “pomodoro sprint” so they are not surprise by my quick “No” when they ask for help. This other online Pomodoro allows you to share your timer to your team.

Why not trying it?

Mind mapping

Why: Gather, connect and remember knowledge

How: Create a visual map of the topic you want to cover

What: Put your topic in the center of a page (ideally A3). Prepare the first level if you already know what you want to capture. Write down details based on parent-child concept. Use color per branches to remember the path between the dots (that will create engram).

We see couple of situations where a mind Map is powerful:

  • Preparing a job interview (sample)
  • Taking meeting/classroom minutes
  • Brainstorming
  • Teaching new English words to your children
  • Creating a book sum-up
  • …

Finally you can download training support (FR) on using such tool.

Why not trying it?

Tie knot logic

Why: Play while dressing

How: Create your own tie knots

What: Learn a model that will free your imagination

When I started my career, the tie was a must. While I love the knots, I looked on Internet for some guidance. At that time I found a research that I recently found back (thanks Internet memory). It is a 1999 research from Thomas M.A. Fink and Yong Mao (Cambridge University) for which you can see below some extracts.

1. Know the nomenclature

2. Run a sequence

3. Discover some samples, for which you will recognize famous knots.

Why not trying it?

100% present

Why: Ensure your meeting participants are connected with each other’s

How: Allow participants to openly share their distractions

What: Start your next team meeting by a round table ice-breaker

Ask them what could be their distraction that prevent them to be 100% with the team. It could be a morning issue, a future meeting concern, …

Three rules are key:

    • You should start
    • It is optional for others
    • No comment or body reaction is allowed

Why not trying it?