I recently attended a brutal three-day continuing education seminar. It was brutal for me and many others because it included a great deal of calculating math, statistics, and probability. I don't know about you, but triangulation, standard deviation, and the coefficient of determination have NOT been a part of my vocabulary in a LONG time! Actually, probably never.
Two of the presenters were excellent. They used humor (really), stories, and class interaction to explain very complicated material that the bulk of the class would be testing on. The first presenter, unfortunately, really struggled to connect with the audience. She was very knowledgeable but not very well trained in presenting. I overheard many notes of dissatisfaction during her sessions and I know she didn't receive high marks on her evaluation.
More importantly however is who her responsibility was to. As a presenter, our duty is to our audience. In this case, there were many exam takers who didn't get the value they should have and that could hurt them when taking the test. This blog is not the place to go detail by detail, but suffice it to say, there were many missteps. If you are a presenter of anything, you have an obligation to your audience to send a clear message. Make sure you are constantly improving this very important skill so your audience will benefit and find value.
Dan
P.S. Need to sharpen your skills? I have several resources available in my online store, including from some World Champion presenters. Improve your value to your audience today. Click here to check out my store.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
The Good Samaritan
Yesterday my family and I took a trip to Wal-Mart after church to pick up some quick items. As I got in my Suburban, I noticed a piece of paper underneath my windshield wiper. When I got out to examine I found a free-hand note stating “Your passenger-side tire is very low”. Upon further inspection, I was horrified to find that not only was it very low, it was VERY, VERY low. Fortunately, Wal-Mart has a tire service place open on Sundays because I’m not sure how I far we would have been able to go. Turns out the culprit was a screw I ran over. To make matters worse, the front tires were no longer legal for road use, so I had to replace both of them!
Two things to learn from this; first I’m very thankful to my Good Samaritan who left the note. How often do we walk by a situation like that and don’t take the time to leave a note. I could have been down the road a mile or two with my wife and daughter and been involved in an accident.
Second, be prepared. I had let my tires become hazards and if it wasn’t for a wayward screw I ran over, may have found out the hard way.
The last word – what a great form of communication. We sometimes spend so much time focusing on our verbal skills, that we forget how important any type of communication, especially written is.
Dan
Two things to learn from this; first I’m very thankful to my Good Samaritan who left the note. How often do we walk by a situation like that and don’t take the time to leave a note. I could have been down the road a mile or two with my wife and daughter and been involved in an accident.
Second, be prepared. I had let my tires become hazards and if it wasn’t for a wayward screw I ran over, may have found out the hard way.
The last word – what a great form of communication. We sometimes spend so much time focusing on our verbal skills, that we forget how important any type of communication, especially written is.
Dan
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Boo Birds
I've been a huge sports fan for as long as I can remember. The first football game I remember watching was in 1975 when Larry Csonka and the Miami Dolphins beat the Minnesota Vikings. Booing has always been a form of communication in sports. Some fans, like in Philadelphia, are known for it. When you boo Santa Claus, you earn that claim to fame!
I will admit, I have done my share of booing in my life. As I have grown older though, I have made a conscious decision not to. I'm not sure if that has come around due to coaching high school basketball for six years, but something has changed me. The recent booing of Shaun Alexander of the Seattle Seahawks has prompted me to write this article.
Shaun Alexander has nearly 10,000 rushing yards in his career, which places him in elite company. He is a former league Most Valuable Player. Even if he slows down to average numbers for the rest of his career, he is more than likely a candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And, he has played his entire career with one team, which in this day and age is unique.
Due to recent injuries and an overhaul of his offensive line, Alexander has had less than sterling numbers. The Seahawks "faithful" has been riding him hard and have actually booed him the past two weeks. I don't get it. Alexander has been a hero for this community and led our once doormat team to the Super Bowl. Not only that, he has been a sterling contributor to our community with his charitable work. How soon we forget. In this society which thrives on "What Have You Done For Me Lately", it's not surprising. I'm sure the fans who do the booing would never accept it in their line of work.
Final thought - the Seahawks fans are famous for raising the "12th Man" flag prior to each game. Seattle Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki just did the honors last Sunday. That means we are part of the team. What part of "team" does booing honor? Aren't we suppose to pull for OUR team and be encouraging? Unfortunately, we here in Seattle are closer to the Philadelphia model of "team" than we might like to believe.
Dan
I will admit, I have done my share of booing in my life. As I have grown older though, I have made a conscious decision not to. I'm not sure if that has come around due to coaching high school basketball for six years, but something has changed me. The recent booing of Shaun Alexander of the Seattle Seahawks has prompted me to write this article.
Shaun Alexander has nearly 10,000 rushing yards in his career, which places him in elite company. He is a former league Most Valuable Player. Even if he slows down to average numbers for the rest of his career, he is more than likely a candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And, he has played his entire career with one team, which in this day and age is unique.
Due to recent injuries and an overhaul of his offensive line, Alexander has had less than sterling numbers. The Seahawks "faithful" has been riding him hard and have actually booed him the past two weeks. I don't get it. Alexander has been a hero for this community and led our once doormat team to the Super Bowl. Not only that, he has been a sterling contributor to our community with his charitable work. How soon we forget. In this society which thrives on "What Have You Done For Me Lately", it's not surprising. I'm sure the fans who do the booing would never accept it in their line of work.
Final thought - the Seahawks fans are famous for raising the "12th Man" flag prior to each game. Seattle Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki just did the honors last Sunday. That means we are part of the team. What part of "team" does booing honor? Aren't we suppose to pull for OUR team and be encouraging? Unfortunately, we here in Seattle are closer to the Philadelphia model of "team" than we might like to believe.
Dan
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Technology at its finest!
Speaking of my presentation at the Seattle Chamber of Commerce and my daughter...
It turned out to be fortunate that she was home. My PowerPoint presentation included a 4-minute video clip of a program I'd given a few months ago. The clip was going to be an example of a point I wanted to make. Unfortunately, I forgot that in order to transfer the sound from the video, it needed to be packaged on to a CD. Big time bummer!
Technology to the rescue...I called Kelli on her cell phone and she went down to my computer, found the file, and e-mailed it to me. I was able to log on to the hotel's free Wi-Fi and VIOLA! How did we ever get by without cell phones, WiFi, or thumb drives?
Dan
It turned out to be fortunate that she was home. My PowerPoint presentation included a 4-minute video clip of a program I'd given a few months ago. The clip was going to be an example of a point I wanted to make. Unfortunately, I forgot that in order to transfer the sound from the video, it needed to be packaged on to a CD. Big time bummer!
Technology to the rescue...I called Kelli on her cell phone and she went down to my computer, found the file, and e-mailed it to me. I was able to log on to the hotel's free Wi-Fi and VIOLA! How did we ever get by without cell phones, WiFi, or thumb drives?
Dan
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
This is FUNNY
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of giving a presentation to the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. After the event, I was talking with several attendees as they were leaving, and one gentleman happened to catch my eye. I noticed that his name badge said "Weedin". Not seeing too many people with MY last name, I took a closer look to see what his first name was. To my surprise, it said "Kelli". Why was I surprised? Well, because that's my daughter's name!
Turns out this man's name was "Kelly" and he was rushing in as the event was starting. The lady at registration asked his name and he said "Kelly". Well, my Kelli was originally going to come with me, but was sick and couldn't come. She had a name tag all set for her. You can guess what happened! The registration lady peeled off "Kelli Weedin" and gave it to this gentleman who wore it the entire time without realizing it. We shared a good laugh about that one. I told him that the story would definitely end up in a speech somewhere, and of course in my blog.
Dan
P.S. Thanks to all of you who attended the Seattle Chamber function. You were a great audience and I appreciated your hospitality.
Turns out this man's name was "Kelly" and he was rushing in as the event was starting. The lady at registration asked his name and he said "Kelly". Well, my Kelli was originally going to come with me, but was sick and couldn't come. She had a name tag all set for her. You can guess what happened! The registration lady peeled off "Kelli Weedin" and gave it to this gentleman who wore it the entire time without realizing it. We shared a good laugh about that one. I told him that the story would definitely end up in a speech somewhere, and of course in my blog.
Dan
P.S. Thanks to all of you who attended the Seattle Chamber function. You were a great audience and I appreciated your hospitality.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Compliments are easy to give
"Dad, you said something right today." Now, if you're a parent of teenagers like me, you don't get to hear that very often. I was shocked when my daughter Kelli said this to me as I was driving her to school. Her car is in the shop so I've been playing taxi driver getting her from high school to the college where she does Running Start and then back to the high school again. Turns out she found out the directions I gave her earlier did result in a faster and easier commute between the two schools. Hmmm...chalk one up for the old man!
It's funny how a small compliment can make someone's day. This one came in the form of a statement that makes it sound like I rarely say anything right, but I'll take it. Think about the last time you received a compliment. Better yet, think about the last time you gave one. In fact, I bet you're like me and more likely to give compliments to people other than your closest family and friends. Here's a challenge for you...see if you can say that one nice thing to a family member or close friend. Not only will it make them feel good, it will do wonders for you, too!
Dan
P.S. Would you like someone to compliment you on your next presentation? Register for my Panic to Power Boot Camp and learn how to give edge of their seat presentations. The Early Bird Special deadline is quickly approaching. Click here to register today!
It's funny how a small compliment can make someone's day. This one came in the form of a statement that makes it sound like I rarely say anything right, but I'll take it. Think about the last time you received a compliment. Better yet, think about the last time you gave one. In fact, I bet you're like me and more likely to give compliments to people other than your closest family and friends. Here's a challenge for you...see if you can say that one nice thing to a family member or close friend. Not only will it make them feel good, it will do wonders for you, too!
Dan
P.S. Would you like someone to compliment you on your next presentation? Register for my Panic to Power Boot Camp and learn how to give edge of their seat presentations. The Early Bird Special deadline is quickly approaching. Click here to register today!
Monday, October 8, 2007
Simplicity...
Sometimes you find inspiration in the strangest places. While attending a fundraising luncheon for the local community college, I heard a wonderful speech from a young woman who was a student. It was unpolished yet beautifully and sincerely delivered to a room of about 400 people or more. Sometimes I wonder if we work too hard to deliver the "perfect" presentation when simplicity will do just fine thank you.
Dan
Dan
Friday, October 5, 2007
Minding your manners
Last week, I was a participant in a full day seminar. There were about a dozen of us in attendance and the information and speaker were excellent. You can imagine my surprise when after re-convening from a 10-minute break, one of the participants stayed on his cell phone to conduct business at the back of a small room we were in. Now, I understand things happen, but here’s the deal…
How is it possible that this guy disrupts the presentation by conducting his business in a small room while everyone else is trying to listen? Not only is it rude to the speaker and the rest of the audience, it’s rude to whoever he is talking to on the phone. He made no attempt to keep his voice down and was truly a distraction to everyone.
If you ever find yourself in a similar situation as the phone caller, do everyone a favor and take your business and phone call OUTSIDE the room and make sure the door is closed. If the call is THAT important to take you away from the seminar, then give it its due by being present for the person on the other end of the phone. Be considerate of the other people who want to listen and to the speaker who has an important message to present.
If you find yourself the presenter in this situation, don’t hesitate to ask the audience member to please leave the room. You can invite them back when they are done, but your audience is not getting your best if you allow a disruption like this to happen.
Final thought – my guess is that the call was not an emergency (after all, I couldn’t help but hear part of it). Cellular phones are good business tools but we don’t have to answer every call or respond to every problem immediately. If you spend the time and money to attend a seminar, be present to that and take and make phone calls in the appropriate time and place.
Dan
How is it possible that this guy disrupts the presentation by conducting his business in a small room while everyone else is trying to listen? Not only is it rude to the speaker and the rest of the audience, it’s rude to whoever he is talking to on the phone. He made no attempt to keep his voice down and was truly a distraction to everyone.
If you ever find yourself in a similar situation as the phone caller, do everyone a favor and take your business and phone call OUTSIDE the room and make sure the door is closed. If the call is THAT important to take you away from the seminar, then give it its due by being present for the person on the other end of the phone. Be considerate of the other people who want to listen and to the speaker who has an important message to present.
If you find yourself the presenter in this situation, don’t hesitate to ask the audience member to please leave the room. You can invite them back when they are done, but your audience is not getting your best if you allow a disruption like this to happen.
Final thought – my guess is that the call was not an emergency (after all, I couldn’t help but hear part of it). Cellular phones are good business tools but we don’t have to answer every call or respond to every problem immediately. If you spend the time and money to attend a seminar, be present to that and take and make phone calls in the appropriate time and place.
Dan
Thursday, October 4, 2007
So...what do you do?
I wasn’t expecting to be sitting here typing out a blog on my Alaska Air flight to Palm Springs. I fully intended to be listening to my new Patricia Fripp DVD called Preparing and Presenting Powerful Talks. For those of you not familiar with Patricia Fripp, she is one of the premiere speaking and presentation coaches in the world. I became a big fan after attending her workshops at the Region 1 Toastmasters International Conference last June. Now I had her DVD and I was primed for a valuable lesson on this 2 ½ hour flight!
I waited patiently like just about every other passenger for the pilot to come on the loudspeaker and give us the green light to turn on electronic equipment (Boy has traveling on planes changed in the last 10 years).
I popped in the DVD, shut the blinds, turned up the volume and on came Patricia. Funny thing happened. Her mouth was moving but I could barely (and I mean BARELY) here any sound. Checking the volume that it was maxxed out, my keen mind figured out that the huge engines that I was basically sitting on at the wing position was drowning out all audible sound. Even my new fancy Sony earphones didn’t help. This ever happen to you?
It only took me about 7 minutes of watching her talk but not being able to hear her that I realized that I just wasn’t learning by reading her lips. This was a futile effort. I figured since the laptop was out anyways, that this would make a good post. I suppose you will be the judge of that.
While waiting to take off, I made the acquaintance of the person sitting next to me. His name is Jeff and it turns out he and I have some things in common. We are both in the Zoodango online business networking community, both a part of Kiros (in fact, he’s the founder of the Christian business organization), and both consultants. I realize some people don’t like to talk with strangers on an airplane for fear of getting in a long conversation about life insurance or pyramid marketing. Their loss is the opportunity to meet someone new and perhaps gain a friendship. Jeff and I shared thoughts and ideas on our businesses and families and I hope to get to know him better through our mutual interests. After 10,000 feet we both went off to our laptops to get some work done. Since we are both furiously typing away, my guess is he can’t hear anything either.
This is a blog dedicated to communicating, so here’s the moral of this post. Take a chance once in awhile and meet someone new, especially if you are going to be cramped together on a long flight. I have yet to meet someone that I wish I hadn’t started a dialogue with. More often than not, I learn something new that adds to my personal growth. What’s the worst that can happen…you end up with some new life insurance or a bunch of boxes in your garage?
Dan
P.S. Do you have trouble meeting people or networking? That’s a bad thing in business. Let me help you with my Power to Panic Boot Camp coming up in November. Click here to learn more. Dates are being finalized for a Seattle boot camp so stay tuned!
I waited patiently like just about every other passenger for the pilot to come on the loudspeaker and give us the green light to turn on electronic equipment (Boy has traveling on planes changed in the last 10 years).
I popped in the DVD, shut the blinds, turned up the volume and on came Patricia. Funny thing happened. Her mouth was moving but I could barely (and I mean BARELY) here any sound. Checking the volume that it was maxxed out, my keen mind figured out that the huge engines that I was basically sitting on at the wing position was drowning out all audible sound. Even my new fancy Sony earphones didn’t help. This ever happen to you?
It only took me about 7 minutes of watching her talk but not being able to hear her that I realized that I just wasn’t learning by reading her lips. This was a futile effort. I figured since the laptop was out anyways, that this would make a good post. I suppose you will be the judge of that.
While waiting to take off, I made the acquaintance of the person sitting next to me. His name is Jeff and it turns out he and I have some things in common. We are both in the Zoodango online business networking community, both a part of Kiros (in fact, he’s the founder of the Christian business organization), and both consultants. I realize some people don’t like to talk with strangers on an airplane for fear of getting in a long conversation about life insurance or pyramid marketing. Their loss is the opportunity to meet someone new and perhaps gain a friendship. Jeff and I shared thoughts and ideas on our businesses and families and I hope to get to know him better through our mutual interests. After 10,000 feet we both went off to our laptops to get some work done. Since we are both furiously typing away, my guess is he can’t hear anything either.
This is a blog dedicated to communicating, so here’s the moral of this post. Take a chance once in awhile and meet someone new, especially if you are going to be cramped together on a long flight. I have yet to meet someone that I wish I hadn’t started a dialogue with. More often than not, I learn something new that adds to my personal growth. What’s the worst that can happen…you end up with some new life insurance or a bunch of boxes in your garage?
Dan
P.S. Do you have trouble meeting people or networking? That’s a bad thing in business. Let me help you with my Power to Panic Boot Camp coming up in November. Click here to learn more. Dates are being finalized for a Seattle boot camp so stay tuned!
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Change in the weather
I'm headed to Palm Springs today for a business trip and will be there several days. If you're like me and live in the Seattle area, you've been shivering and cold, too. It seems that not only did we not have a long summer, fall is falling and we're headed straight for winter. A quick trip to 90 degree weather will be good for the bones.
I do miss my family when I'm gone. It seems I travel more than I used to. They will be coming down with me on my next trip down to the desert. I know my daughter can't wait. She thinks Palm Springs is where she wants to live. Of course she's never been there in July!
Dan
I do miss my family when I'm gone. It seems I travel more than I used to. They will be coming down with me on my next trip down to the desert. I know my daughter can't wait. She thinks Palm Springs is where she wants to live. Of course she's never been there in July!
Dan
Monday, October 1, 2007
Don't Drop Your Head
Driving home this afternoon, I was listening to University of Washington Head Coach Tyrone Willingham on his radio show discussing the game against (then) #1 ranked USC on Saturday. The Huskies came close in a 3-point loss that went down to the final seconds. He was describing his words to his team prior to the game. One of his statements made me stop and think.
He told his team that they didn’t have to play a perfect game to win. He reminded them that they would make mistakes during the game, but to never drop your head because of them…to keep fighting on and overcome those mistakes. The part that stuck with me was not dropping your head.
It reminded me of my days coaching high school basketball. How many times I remember kids making mistakes on the court and dropping their head in disgust, hurt, or sadness. How much harder is it to bounce back when you’re looking straight down?
The same can be said about life, too. Business, sports, and personal lives all give us plenty of opportunities to make mistakes. Some mistakes are made with all the right information and effort…it’s that “hindsight is 20/20” stuff. Some mistakes you wonder, “What was I thinking?” But in all cases, I encourage you to take Coach Willingham’s advice and keep your head up. We all make mistakes. If we are smart, we always learn from them, too.
Keep your head up. Go into your “game” knowing you will make mistakes. Resolve to learn from them and keep battling. Remember that you can’t get where you want to go if you’re looking straight down.
Dan
He told his team that they didn’t have to play a perfect game to win. He reminded them that they would make mistakes during the game, but to never drop your head because of them…to keep fighting on and overcome those mistakes. The part that stuck with me was not dropping your head.
It reminded me of my days coaching high school basketball. How many times I remember kids making mistakes on the court and dropping their head in disgust, hurt, or sadness. How much harder is it to bounce back when you’re looking straight down?
The same can be said about life, too. Business, sports, and personal lives all give us plenty of opportunities to make mistakes. Some mistakes are made with all the right information and effort…it’s that “hindsight is 20/20” stuff. Some mistakes you wonder, “What was I thinking?” But in all cases, I encourage you to take Coach Willingham’s advice and keep your head up. We all make mistakes. If we are smart, we always learn from them, too.
Keep your head up. Go into your “game” knowing you will make mistakes. Resolve to learn from them and keep battling. Remember that you can’t get where you want to go if you’re looking straight down.
Dan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
