Products by

Susan Fee

In This Issue

News & Notes:  Up, Up, and Away!

Manager's Tip Sheet:  Get the Job Done    

Personal Tip Sheet: Listen and Learn

Difficult Conversations: Stop Typing and Listen!       

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News & Notes: Up, Up, and Away!

As a kid growing up in Depression-era Akron, Ohio my father dreamed of a big life.  He’s the kind of guy who makes lists of things he wants to accomplish in his life:  become an F.B.I. agent, travel to every continent, fly a plane, own a Mercedes.  At age 82, he had crossed off every dream but one.  He wanted a ride in the Goodyear Blimp.  He had toured the hangar near his home when he was five, and decided then he wanted a ride. 

He had tried for years with no success.  Now Dad lives in Seattle where I grew up, and ironically, I am the one living in Akron, Ohio.  I see that blimp fly overhead on a regular basis.  My husband and I were determined to make this dream come true.  Through trial and error, snowstorms, three reschedules, and flight delays – we finally did it! (See the pictures on my blog.)

The whole experience reminds me that we need to share our goals.  Amazing connections develop when we are willing to take a risk and open up to others.  Here’s my challenge:  form your own Dream Team.  Gather a group together, share a goal, and see who in the group knows someone or something that can help advance it, and who can you help?  Take a chance, reach out, and you too may be flying high!

 

Until next month,

Susan Fee

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Manager's Tip Sheet: Get the Job Done

As I sit here typing on my Mac, I think Steve Jobs must be doing something right!  We can all learn from his presentation style, particularly how to sell big ideas to large audiences.  Carmine Gallo wrote an interesting breakdown of one of Jobs’ most recent presentations for BusinessWeek.

Gallo observes that Jobs uses minimal content on his slides, relying on a few words or a picture.  This is a trend that’s catching on for good reason.  It forces the speaker to carry the content rather than stand there and read the slide which is an excruciating thing to have to sit through!  It also encourages the speaker to use more stories, especially if the visual is a picture.

Here’s how you can create slides as effective as Steve Jobs:

Search online:  I use Google Images to find pictures that will help me tell a story.  Pictures not only make a point memorable for the audience, they help me remember my presentation too!

Get personal:  Don’t be afraid to share your personal pictures.  A recent speaker I saw shared pictures of his dogs to illustrate a point.  The whole audience chuckled and we learned a little more about the speaker at the same time.

Add video:  If you’ve never visited Youtube, beware!  You can waste a lot of time watching other people’s videos.  But, occasionally you can come across a gem that supports a point and adds just the right amount of humor to your presentation. 

Make your point:  When your audience walks out the door, what message do you want them to take away?  Crystallize that message into a few words on a slide, and then repeat that phrase through out your presentation.

Find more tips in Secrets of Successful Presentations.

 

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Personal Tip Sheet: Listen and Learn

This political season there have been more debates than ever.  It’s interesting to listen to the discussion afterwards and the impressions candidates made with their body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice.  Just as much is communicated by how each appears while listening to their opponent’s answers.

How do you react when you strongly disagree with what is being said?  Do you shake your head, roll your eyes, cross your arms, or exhale heavily?  If so, the other person may accuse you of not listening to which most of us reply, “I’m listening!  Go ahead!”  Then we resume our oppositional body language.  Truly listening is more than being silent, it’s attempting to understand the other person’s point of view.  Here are three tips to help you listen and learn:

Information is power:  Just because you listen doesn’t mean you agree.  Many people are afraid to let someone share an opposing viewpoint without showing immediately how much they disagree.  But, allowing a person to explain his viewpoint gives you valuable information that can be used to understand, negotiate, or reach a compromise.  

Stay open:  Display open body language including a relaxed face and uncrossed arms.  Face the speaker rather than turning away and lean in to show interest rather than pulling away or leaning back in a chair.

Paraphrase:  Offer encouragers such as “mm-mm” and head nodding to show you are listening (again, this does not mean you necessarily agree).  To make sure you’ve understood, paraphrase the other person’s key points.  This may be challenging if you disagree, but unless the speaker feels heard, you won’t have open ears when it’s your time to speak.

Improve your listening skills with more tips from Positive First Impressions.

 

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 Difficult Conversations:  Stop Typing and Listen!

Q:  When I do business with one particular colleague over the phone, I can hear him typing the whole time.  We are not discussing information that involves computer work, so I feel he’s multitasking at my expense and he’s missing important information.  I don’t want to accuse him of not listening, but I’m distracted by the typing.  What can I say?

A:  This is a common situation in today’s world of multitasking.  It’s tempting to think we can do other things and still listen well, especially over the phone.   

When you call, state your topic and estimate how long the call will take.  Ask if he’s able to give you his full attention now, or if it would be better to reschedule.  If you hear him begin typing say, “It sounds like you’re working on a lot of things at once, are you sure it’s still a good time to speak?”  If he says yes, then say, “It’s hard for me to concentrate on what I’m saying when I hear typing at the same time.  May I ask that you hold off during our conversation or let me know a better time to talk?” 

      

Submit your difficult questions to Susan_Fee@msn.com.  If your question is chosen for publication, you’ll receive a complimentary copy of Dealing With Difficult People.

   

   

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Interested in booking training or coaching?  Let me know how I can help, Susan_Fee@msn.com. 

 

Susan Fee is a licensed counselor, business and personal coach, and college adjunct faculty member.  She is the author of Positive First Impressions, Dealing with Difficult People, Building Resiliency, Secrets of Successful Presentations, and the college survival guide, My Roommate Is Driving Me Crazy!  (Adams Media).  She can be reached through her Web site at www.susanfee.com or by email at Susan_Fee@msn.com. 

 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008