Focus Magazine - Summer 2014 - (Page 13)

FRONT OF THE ROOM Brian Lange Getting Your Head Right Positive affirmations can be a nice final boost for your performance. T he practical and necessary often consume our preparation for being in front of a roomful of people: premeeting communications with participants; organizing any guest speakers; ensuring room logistics and materials; designing content and structure; making catering decisions; etc. Not to mention honing our own familiarity with the material we're going to present. However, I often find that one overlooked part of our general preparations can casually be referred to as "getting your head right." I confess to being a Big-Picture-Kind-ofGuy. I like to know how the pieces fit together, and why things are as they are. I also like to know where they're going. So, I try to make some of my prep time about getting my head right. Here are some things to consider to assist you in connecting the dots for your audiences - and linking organizational, learning and participant needs together - as well as getting your own mindset ready. Start With Why With acknowledgement of the phrase to author Simon Sinek, you should absolutely know how the material you are about to present relates to what is happening in the organization, and why it is important. Too often, we deliver material in a vacuum, and context suffers as a result. Sure, you're rolling out a new initiative, and "everyone has to go through it"-but why? How does it fit in the overall performance and execution of the company's mission? How did we get here? What's driving it? What do we hope to gain with it? I am not suggesting that you conduct an opening by answering all of these questions. This is about what you should know in your gut, so that it shapes how you choose to deliver your material. We have to look beyond the leader's guide/slide deck to see the big picture relevance: This is the potential of the impact and value you can bring to your audience! Get Inside! In typical public speaking classes, the notion of "know your audience" is often put forth: Who are they, what roles, backgrounds, etc. This doesn't quite go deep enough to provide value for the speaker to connect with-and engage-the audience. There is tremendous value in putting thought into getting inside the head of your audience members. Put yourself in their shoes: What's on their minds? How might they be feeling about being there? What might they be protective/defensive of (if anything)? What biases might they bring? What could the upside be of the material you're presenting? How might they feel about you? Affirm Just as the character Stuart Smalley from the old Saturday Night Live sketches used to say, "I'm good enough; I'm smart enough; and, doggone it, people like me!" Positive affirmations can be a nice final boost for your performance! I have reminded myself before some sessions simply that, "I know my material. I know why it's relevant and people are going to enjoy working with me." Yes, it may sound a little (or a lot) hokey, but don't knock it till you've tried it! Think of it as a final self-pep talk. I Brian Lange, blange@perim.com, is with Perim Consulting and serves as lead facilitator for LTEN PrimeTime! For Trainers Core and Masters workshops. He blogs at www.WorkplaceInfluence.blogspot.com. FOCUS | SUMMER 2014 | www.L-TEN.org 13 http://www.WorkplaceInfluence.blogspot.com http://www.L-TEN.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Focus Magazine - Summer 2014

Focus Magazine
From the President: Clarity, Community & Career
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Guest Editor: Your Network and the Connection Ecomony
Front of the Room: Getting Your Head Right
Neuroscience: Neuroliteracy
Introducing LTEN: The Life Sciences Trainers & Educators Network
Communities of Practice: Learning in Action
Are We Living in a Post-LMS World?
Member Solutions: Measuring the Impact of Training
Selling as a Team Sport
From the Training Room to the Board Room
The Science of Changing Sales Behavior
Personalized Medicine: The Coming Revolution
Virtual How: Trends in Selling Models
Member News
Ad Index
Focus Contacts
5 Questions with Nigel Brooksby

Focus Magazine - Summer 2014

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