Leadership Solutions

Communication Tip #2

Tip: Avoid complex, vague, rambling statements.

Such statements:

1) Fool people into making mistakes 

2) Offend people 

3) Scare people (because of #1)

4) Waste time

5) Create a bad impression

Recognize that people are impressed with ideas that they understand.

I'll admit that after completing a Ph.D. in chemical engineering, I thought that I needed to sound intelligent. So, I used artfully constructed long statements.

This was a bad idea.

Now, I realize that simple, brief statements would have been more impressive.

Today's Task: Strive for clear communication.

Much success,

Steve Kaye
Results Specialist
Speaker, Meeting Facilitator, and Author of Create Success 

714-528-1300

Communication Tip #1

Tip: Use simple, clear, concise statements.

These make it easy for others to understand what you're saying.

Today's Task: Speak clearly.

Much success,

Steve Kaye
Results Specialist
Speaker, Meeting Facilitator, and Author of Create Success

714-528-1300

How To Become More Successful

 

Here's a guaranteed way to become more successful.

Ask others for advice.

In fact, ask everyone. Everywhere. Every time you can.

Of course you will receive tons (as in a lot) of suggestions.

Then apply those ideas that make sense.

And file the rest.

Key Point: Success is a team effort. Put everyone on your team.

Much success,

Steve Kaye
Results Specialist

Speaker, Meeting Facilitator, and Author of Create Success

714-528-1300

Have You Heard This?

And then the consultant says,

"Oh sure, I can facilitate your meeting."

Really?

I encourage you to ask a few questions.

You'll find a list here.

Why?

Anyone can claim to facilitate a meeting; but there's more to facilitating a meeting than watching people talk.

My cat can do that.

Key Point: Meeting Facilitation is a complex task requiring special skills.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

Results Specialist

Speaker, Meeting Facilitator, and Author of 119 Tips for Effective Meetings

714-528-1300

PS: My workshop on Effective Meetings shows people how to get results from their meetings.

Incredible Service

Here is an example of incredible customer service.

I was checking prices for the Toyota Camry Hybrid. In doing this, I filled out a form requesting a quote from local dealers.

Within minutes after I clicked on the Send button, David Blumenthal phoned. We had bought a Prius from him last December (Power Toyota in Buena Park, CA).

I explained that I wanted to compare a Camry Hybrid with the standard 4-cylinder model. And I mentioned that I wanted a white car.

David said that he had both in stock and invited me to test drive them. So I agreed to come to the dealership.

When I arrived about a half hour later, there was David waiting for me, standing in the parking lot, between two white cars - the standard Camry and a Hybrid. Both were parked facing the street, ready for a test drive.

He had spent the time since we talked, finding the cars and parking them next to each other so that I could compare them.

I realize this is a small story.

And it's small courtesies like this that make a huge difference.

But there's more.

I wanted a white Camry Hybrid with the option that included alloy wheels, which is a somewhat rare combination. David searched Toyota's inventory system until he found a model that was destined to be shipped to another dealer in a few weeks. It took a while to find this car - it was so new that a VIN had not been assigned to it.

Then, when the car arrived he called me.

Result: I bought a Camry Hybrid.

And I consider David's creative approach to customer service to be better than excellent.

So how about you?

Do you amaze your customers? Do you do things that make the buying process uncommonly easy? Do you provide incredible service?

If so, you may find that people praise your work in articles like this.

Today's Task: Be amazing.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

Results Specialist

Speaker, Meeting Facilitator, and Author of Create Success

714-528-1300

PS: The 2011 Toyota Camry Hybrid is the most comfortable, quiet, amazing car that I have owned. So far, I'm getting more than 42 mpg. 

Do You Know Where Your Attendees Are?

It's an hour past ten.

And you may be alone.

This is strange because you think that others are still there - paying attention during a teleconference.

But they left.

Some may have put the phone on mute while they read e-mail. Others may have left their office to visit someone down the hall. Some may be playing video games.

This happens frequently during long, dull teleconference meetings.

You know, it's astonishing that people will do everything possible to squeeze another second of work out of their staff, and yet tolerate wasting hours in a bad meeting.

So here's how to hold an effective teleconference.

1) Keep it short.

A teleconference should last less than half an hour. After that, people will leave, either mentally or physically.

2) Keep it small.

A teleconference should include no more than eight people. More than eight guarantees that some will be silent spectators.

3) Keep it simple.

A teleconference should work on one simple issue that can be resolved with a phone call. More complex issues require a real, fact-to-face meeting.

Key Point: Every meeting is a business activity that should earn a profit.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

Results Specialist

Speaker, Meeting Facilitator, and Author of 119 Tips for Effective Meetings

714-528-1300

PS: My workshop on Effective Meetings shows people how to get results from their meetings.

What a Great Idea!

Alfie, Gracie, and Adja have an unusual job.

They are Reading Dogs.

That is, they listen while children read to them. And yes, they are dogs, as in "Arf, Arf."

The dogs enjoy the attention. And the children enjoy reading without having someone (e.g., a human, as in "Ugh, Ugh.") criticize them.

This leads to notable benefits.

1) Having a friendly listener encourages children to read.

2) Listening to someone read can make you uncommonly intelligent. (It's possible that some of these dogs have listened to more books than some people have read.)

So here are some possibilities:

1) Encourage your children to read to a pet. I'm sure the pet can spare the time for this.

2) Invite one of their dogs to your school or library. Or, perhaps, start an organization like this in your community. Call the people at B.A.R.K. for ideas.

3) Encourage adults to listen to children read. Then these adults can become as well informed as Alfie and his colleagues.

Today's Task: Listen to a child read.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

Results Specialist

Speaker, Meeting Facilitator, and Author of Create Success

714-528-1300

Three Things You Need

This applies in every endeavor.

You need three things.

1) Optimism

You have to believe that you will make progress. You must expect that your efforts will amount to something.

2) Persistence

You must push through set backs, disappointments, and failures because these are there to test your commitment.

3) Skill

You must develop skills to work effectively and efficiently.

This photo represents all three.

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I set out to take photos confident that I would find something. After over two hours my persistence was rewarded - this egret landed. Then I used decades of learning to capture the photo.

Consider: Good skills give you the confidence to expect success and the belief in yourself to persist.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

Results Specialist

Speaker, Meeting Facilitator, and Author of Create Success

714-528-1300

PS: I approach all of my work with these three things.