Successful Meetings - September 2007 - (Page 16)

Management Matters > By Dr. Tom McDonald Shedding a New Light We used to call it a paradigm shift. Today, we call it changing perspective. Whatever label you give it, getting others to look at things in a new light, and change what they do, is without a doubt leadership skill number one. And with good reason: Why else do we need leaders, if not to clarify where we should be going—as a group—and help us get there? Especially if the direction is new and one we find unsettling. In other words, good leaders are first and foremost mental experts—masters of the mind—who know how to influence people. According to Chip and Dan Heath, in their recent book Made to Stick (Random House, 2007; $24.95), there are several things you can do to make your ideas stick so that they are understood, remembered, and have a lasting impact. uncomplicated and gets repeated over and over again. To some, it may seem like a dumbing down of the issue, but effective leaders understand that even small changes require a large dose of simplicity. simple idea can be expressed in either an abstract or concrete way. Talking in the abstract almost always guarantees that you will lose your audience. You’re operating several levels above where they live. The opposite tack is more effective: Explain the idea in a down-to-earth way. Use props, tell stories, and paint word pictures. Do something unexpected. Surprise the listener. If you can dramatize the message, so much the better. 2 KEEP YOUR EXPLANATION CONCRETE A The most effective KEEP YOUR IDEA SIMPLE When you’re trying to leaders I know tell stories that touch the hearts of their influence others, avoid the trap of overexplaining your audience. Often the story is personal. It’s about what they ideas. Why? Every idea that you are trying to get across runs themselves have experienced. This invites the audience to up against a complex network of ideas that people already have respond on a personal level, too. It’s much easier to influence in their heads. If you overcomplicate things with an excess of others to think and act differently if you can get them to care information, people will naturally resist what you’re trying to get about what’s being communicated. across. Every time I listen to effective leaders speak, I’m If they can feel something powerful, they will be more prone impressed by the simplicity of their discourse. The message is to act on it. Remember that behavior always follows feelings— almost never ideas. So to summarize: If you want to influence others to think and act in new “You are already telling stories about who you are, why you are here, what you ways—the number-one job of leaders— envision, value, teach, and know about other’s secret thoughts—the problem is make sure you communicate with them that you haven’t realized how much your stories matter,” in simple, concrete, and emotional ways. writes Annette Simmons in her book, Whoever Tells the Best This will guarantee that your ideas will Story Wins: How to Use Your Own Stories to Communicate stick with them and make a difference in with Power and Impact (AMACON, 2007; $22.00). Using their daily performance. 1 3 APPEAL TO EMOTIONS Talk A Good Game ILLUSTRATION: MIKE MORAN anecdotes and step-by-step exercises, Simmons identifies six important types of stories—including Who-am-I Stories, Values-in-action Stories, and Teaching Stories— and shows the reader how to tell them in a persuasive, motivational, inspirational, or otherwise effective way. mimegasite.com Dr. Tom McDonald, a Ph.D. in psychology, speaks on “People Skills” needed for “Business Results.” Reach him in San Diego at (858) 5230883, tom@drtommcdonald.com, or visit www.drtommcdonald.com. SEPTEMBER 2007 SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS 16 http://www.drtommcdonald.com http://mimegasite.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Successful Meetings - September 2007

Successful Meetings - September 2007 Contents Editor's Note Research Calendar Suppliers Planner Spotlight Websites of the Month Management Matters Meetings Law Personal Success Pre-Event Tools of the Trade The Social Revolution Long Beach Insert State of the Art A Better Banquet The Seven Wonders of the Gaming World On the List Places & Spaces Caribbean Trinidad & Tobago Insert Monaco Greater Los Angeles Hilton Head/Myrtle Beach Gurus Nevada Planners Guide 2007 This Just In Las Vegas The Big Picture The Benefits of Being Small Let's Get Together Let Us Entertain You This Just in Reno Tahoe Perfect Complements Hotel Stats & Contact Info Hawaii Incentive Handbook 2007

Successful Meetings - September 2007

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