The Four-Second Rule for Improved Communications

By: Susanne Gaddis

"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Chances are you've come across this phrase sometime during your life. This piece of advice has been passed down for generations for a good reason--it's excellent advice.

I'm sure if you think about it--okay, think hard now--you can come up with a few instances when you've said things that you wish you could take back. Whether you spoke during a time when you were stressed, angry, disappointed or frustrated, or you offered up a piece of unsolicited advice during a period of relative calm, thinking about what you said still triggers feelings of discomfort and regret.

Okay, I admit it, in the past, like so many others, I've been a victim of the "open mouth/insert foot" syndrome. Upon occasion I've also been self-diagnosed with the "open mouth/insert leg" syndrome. Yes, there are times when, as a communicator, I've wanted to crawl under a big rock.

If you're prone to saying things that you later regret, here's my best advice: STOP! And, to aid you in this effort, I'd like to share with you the "Four-Second Rule" for better communications.

I hit upon the Four-Second Rule when working with individuals at NASA. During one of my communication workshops, a participant shared that astronauts are trained to make critical decisions in four seconds. So, in the same four seconds that the average person thinks, "Hmmm, do I want a Coke or Pepsi," astronauts are trained to make decisions which may affect whether or not they will successfully return to earth.

So what does the Four-Second Rule have to do with communications? Everything. Throughout the day as communicators we make critical decisions: what we say, the tone we use, who we communicate with, and what non-verbal messages we'll use to accompany our communication. Just think of how much better our relationships will be when, before we start to communicate, we take four seconds to consider the impact that our message will have.

Picture yourself in a stressful scenario where you need to communicate your feelings to someone. Now apply the Four-Second Rule:

Second #1- Take a deep breath and consider what it is that you want to say. Determine the point you want to make and what you'd like for the outcome to be. Realize that some words build up relationships and some words tear them down. Choose your words wisely.

Second #2 - Consider the tone of voice that you'll use. A calm and friendly tone certainly beats a tone that is loud, harsh, condescending, or sewn with sarcasm. If you know that you're "not in the mood" to be talking about something, then DON'T. Similarly, don't deliver messages that you know that you'll be apologizing for later, as doing so puts unnecessary strain on relationships.

Second #3- Make sure you're about to communicate your message to the right person. Misplaced anger or frustration is at the core of many communication problems. If you have an issue with a doctor, communicate that directly to him or her. Don't misdirect your communication to others on the unit, as doing so only contaminates the communications climate.

Second #4 - Consider your non-verbal behavior and how it contributes to or distracts from your message. When delivering your message, face the person, make eye contact and have an open stance. Remember, eye contact is one of the biggest indicators of how a relationship is going. Eliminate huffing, puffing, groaning and eye rolling from your non-verbal vocabulary. By doing so, you are guaranteed to increase the likelihood that positive communication will ensue.

Sometimes we need to "take a step back, to take a step forward." By using this Four Second countdown you'll communicate in a way that will keep others from going into orbit around you. And as those at NASA might say, by using the Four- Second Rule you will successfully complete your mission by keeping your communications down to earth.

Susanne Gaddis, PhD, known as the Communications Doctor, is an acknowledged communications expert. Past clients include: NASA, Oracle, Schlumberger, and the American Nurses Association. For free articles written by Dr. Gaddis, visit: http://www.CommunicationsDoctor.com To book Dr. Gaddis for your next conference, retreat, or workshop call 919-933-3237

Article Source: http://www.leadershiparticles.net

Better Communication Equals More Effective Leadership

By: Chris Hammer

When I started coaching some time back, I made it my mission to absorb as much information as I could about leadership (specifically in the areas of interpersonal effectiveness and good communication): devouring books on leadership models, leadership coaching, business, etc. I interviewed leaders on different levels in different sectors, and noted their common themes and struggles. I spoke with numerous teams to hear their experiences...

Eventually I hit that place of circular learning: where whatever you read or do, you encounter the same themes. The 'nothing new under the sun' phenomenon (or what they refer to in some research models as 'saturation').

And really, the themes are not difficult: if you ask a bunch of lay-people what types of leadership communication and relationship styles they believe to be most effective, they would come up with similar ideas.

So I began to think that this was too easy: that this knowledge isn't rocket science, and that the paradigm shift from a harsh micro-management, or a disconnected, style of leadership to a more effective 'people-centered' approach clearly must have already happened without me. I thought that maybe I missed the ball and that I'd have to redefine my niche.

But to this day, whenever I speak with teams, I know that I was way off base with my presumption. Over and over I continue to hear the same complaints: a lack of strong leadership - particularly in terms of unclear, autocratic, or even no communication.

I know that there are also some very effective leadership styles that aren't exactly what you'd call 'people-friendly' - and that different situations call for different responses. But all in all, I think we know what works best for the majority of circumstances and environments.

But why do many of us revert to old habits, or continue to do what goes against what we know to be a better way?

We do this for a number of reasons. First of all, because we're human. And most of us are not villains: we do what we need to do to get the job done quickly for the higher good or common goal - whether our delivery is popular or not (and this certainly does take some courage). We also tend to revert back to automatic ways of being when we're under stress.

And change is hard.

But to sustain a change we need to remain conscious of the alignment, or misalignment, of our intentions and our actions - and we need to understand and buy into why it might be important to practice a more people-centered approach (hint: things like morale and retention; better group cohesion leading to better initiatives; reduced conflict and stress - you get the idea).

We need to purposely and consistently examine our habits, patterns, and beliefs - and not be afraid to venture out of our comfort zones to experiment with different styles.

As leaders, this 'venturing out' is quite often our norm. So why not in the areas of interpersonal relationships and more emotionally-intelligent communication?

The best way to do this is to ask for specific and honest feedback from those most impacted by our actions: by asking how we come across now, and what might work better (and, of course, being willing to hear it). In addition, hiring a coach to help identify developmental opportunities, and staying on track with them, can be a very effective strategy.

Chris Hammer, Ph.D. is a certified professional coach and licensed psychologist. He offers leadership and life coaching services, as well as various coaching ebooks for people who are passionate about their personal and professional growth. www.mycoachingbooks.com

 

Article Source: http://www.leadershiparticles.net

Leadership & Communication: 5 Positive Attitudes in Communication

By: Muyiwa Omole

The power to lead is the power to communicate
David Sarndoff
There is nothing quite so wonderful as a good idea, there is nothing as tragic as a good idea which cannot be communicated –
Donald Ely

There can never be leadership without communication. Communication is about effecting a change in your audience’s attitude. It is about motivating people to action.
Communication is not about impressing people. I have seen that a lot of communicators just only succeed in impressing their audience. But communication is about influencing people and not about impressing them. Impressing someone changes what he/she thinks about you but influencing someone changes what they do because of you.
Leaders care little about the impression they make instead they strive to influence others to positive action.

TEN SENTENCES CAN CHANGE THE WORLD
The Gettysburg Address is one of the most memorable speeches of American history, delivered by Abraham Lincoln at the scene of the Civil War’s most costly battles. In only ten sentences, Lincoln was able to not only encapsulate the great truths he wanted to convey, but to communicate them powerfully and memorably.
Did you know there was another speaker on the dais that day in Gettysburg? His name was Edward Everett. A senator who was considered the most skilled orator of his time, he traveled around the country addressing audiences. He was the equivalent of today’s professional speaker. Eloquent, he was also long-winded his speech lasted for nearly two hours. Lincoln’s Ten Sentences trumped Everett’s two hours’.
Great leaders are not evaluated on their eloquence, but on their impact.
The question now is how do I communicate with power as a leader? How can my communication have impact on my audience?
In this article, I want to share a principle of communication with you. It is known as the “Ah! I See The Sea” model.
Actually, it is more of a principle than a model. It suggests that there are 5 major negative attitudes you will have to overcome in your audience. And that instead, there are other 5 positive attitudes you will need to create in them.

These positive attitudes are:
A I C D C
Attention Interest Conviction Desire Commitment

To easily remember the AICDC acronym, we use the phrase: Ah! I See The Sea
A I C D C
Ah I See The Sea

5 Positive Attitudes of Communication
1. Attention
2. Interest
3. Conviction
4. Desire
5. Commitment

1. ATTENTION
Whether meeting a person for the first time or getting introduced to a new product, a new idea or concept, people tend to put up a negative attitude of rejection at first. It might be a new concept from a familiar person (A leader introducing a new idea to his team), a new person reaching people from a familiar platform (a sales man marketing a familiar product) or a new concept from an entirely new person (a salesman trying to sell a new product), the first sub-conscious attitude to expect is Rejection: “Who is this?”, “What is he talking about?” What does he want with me?”, “Oh No, not another salesman”. These are some of the hidden concerns in the mind of your audience.
I said earlier that communication is about seeking to effect change. You want to change your audience’s attitude. And wherever change is expected, expect resistance. People want to defend and protect what they already know or possess. So the average person is reacting with rejection inside of him.
But you as a communicator need to get a positive attitude from your audience. What positive attitude? ATTENTION.
The only thing people have less of today, apart from disposable income and time, is attention. An effective communicator must then develop the skill of gaining people’s attention. Did I hear you say how? Here are some tips:
Always endeavor to start your message or speech with a “you” centered statement i.e. be listener-centered. Most likely start your message with a sincere compliment. Don’t start your communication by focusing on yourself. You can start by appreciating the person or audience for granting you the opportunity to speak to them in the first place.
A simple and sincere compliment about a person’s appearance or reputation, a sincere compliment about a congregation’s efforts on a building project, a sincere compliment about a business firm’s performance or market drive will do for a “you” centered entry. But DO NOT flatter. Don’t overdo the listener-centered stuff. Don’t take it to the extreme.
Another listener-centered method is to connect with your audience by saying something in his/her/their local language or dialect. In the same vein, every business organization or corporation has its own local language. Get yourself acquainted with the business culture of your audience.

2. INTEREST
Apart from rejection, your audience is likely to put up INDIFFERENCE. As a good communicator, you have to overcome it and replace it with another positive attitude, which is INTEREST.
It is at this stage that you will need to arouse the interest of your audience. You have to skillfully make him interested in your message or product. The keyword here is NEED, your audience’s need. You will have to link your product with the need of your audience. This is where you ask yourself the question: ‘Why is my message/product important to my audience?’ Until your audience becomes interested in your product/project/message, you cannot convince him to take action.
So, how do you arouse interest? Here are some tips: Make a big claim. You will have to say something that will make your audience say to himself:
“Wow! If that is true, I want to listen to everything he has to say”

But please DO NOT exaggerate. Don’t ever overstate the value of your products. Don’t tell people what they want to hear. Tell them what they NEED to hear. Just make sure you tell them in such a way that they will listen. Be realistic.

3. CONVICTION
Your audience is likely to move from indifference to SKEPTICISM. At this stage, your audience is questioning the authenticity of your claim in his mind. The field here is your audience’s mind. What you need to do at this stage is to give all the facts and figures related to your claim you made.
This stage is important because you are trying to overcome skepticism and gain a positive attitude: CONVICTION. To get your audience interested is not enough, you have to convince him. He has to be convinced that he needs what you have to offer. The way to convince is to be factual and give evidence lavishly.

4. DESIRE
This is the fourth stage. If you’ve succeeded in convincing your audience, then you’ve succeeded in changing his mind. Now the field moves from his mind to his emotion. What if your audience starts saying things like his mind “Well, I think it’s a nice idea, but not right now…”, “may be later.”
By this I mean your audience is exhibiting a negative attitude: PROCRASTINATION. He is convinced quite alright, but he is about to postpone his decision or commitment.
This is the stage that King Agrippa got to when Paul was addressing him, but he never made a decision (Acts 26:28-30). When you notice this in your audience, what do you do?
Create a positive attitude to counter procrastination. Create DESIRE.
Create a desire in him/her/them. Challenge your audience to DREAM about the end result. To convince him you worked on his mind, here you have to work on his emotion. You use words like “just imagine…” Create a dream. Tantalize his imagination. And as you do this, prepare to take him to the next level.

5. COMMITMENT
As you are trying to create a desire in your audience, please know that there is something that is keeping him away from taking action: FEAR. This is the fifth and the last negative attitude you have to deal with in your audience.
How can you help your audience take away fear?
Simple.
Give a call to action. Give a clear invitation for action. Give him hope and take away his fear. You have worked on his mind; you have worked on his emotion now the field moves to his WILL. This is the time to demand for the ultimate positive attitude: COMMITMENT.
It will be a waste to communicate and never ask for action. Scholars of Roman history say that when Cicero spoke, people marveled. When Caesar spoke, people marched. Cicero was impressive. Caesar was influential. What a difference!
Great messages end with a call to action. Todd Beamer, a hero on hijacked flight united 93, September 11 2001 made famous the phrase “Let’s roll”. His action and those of his colleagues may well have saved many lives.
Too many communicate without a clear call to action. Every email, phone call, conversation, speech or message can and probably should conclude with “Let’s do it” indicated: Let’s move forward, take the next step, get involved, play your part etc.
The five stages don’t have to always follow the order as highlighted above, but the ultimate is always COMMITMENT.

I want you to also note that it is not compulsory to push your audience to the level of commitment in a day or in a single contact. Be sensitive. Don’t push your audience. Don’t abuse the opportunity. Make sure by the time you are leaving your audience will be willing to have you around next time.
The “Ah! I See The Sea” Principle works. It works every time. It works everywhere. It works for marketing, advertisement, recruitment, fund raising, counseling, and even preaching.
Try it.

FIVE POSITIVE ATTITUDES GRID
ATTITUDE TO OVERCOME REJECTION INDIFFERENCE SKEPTICISM PROCRASTINATION FEAR
KEYWORD ENTRY NEED SOLUTION DREAM ACTION
HOW TO HANDLE • Be listener-centered
• Sincere compliment
• Speak audience language • Make a big claim
• Be Realistic
• Well - Worded • Facts and Figures
• Related Benefit
• Evidence Just Imagine • Clear Invitation
• Take away Fear
DESIRED ATTITUDE ATTENTION INTEREST CONVICTION DESIRE COMMITMENT
MIND EMOTION WILL

Leadership & Communication: 5 Positive Attitudes in Communication

The power to lead is the power to communicate
David Sarndoff
There is nothing quite so wonderful as a good idea, there is nothing as tragic as a good idea which cannot be communicated –
Donald Ely

There can never be leadership without communication. Communication is about effecting a change in your audience’s attitude. It is about motivating people to action.
Communication is not about impressing people. I have seen that a lot of communicators just only succeed in impressing their audience. But communication is about influencing people and not about impressing them. Impressing someone changes what he/she thinks about you but influencing someone changes what they do because of you.
Leaders care little about the impression they make instead they strive to influence others to positive action.
Great leaders are not evaluated on their eloquence, but on their impact.
The question now is how do I communicate with power as a leader? How can my communication have impact on my audience?
In this article, I want to share a principle of communication with you

5 Positive Attitudes of Communication
6. Attention
7. Interest
8. Conviction
9. Desire
10. Commitment

1. ATTENTION
Whether meeting a person for the first time or getting introduced to a new product, a new idea or concept, people tend to put up a negative attitude of rejection at first. It might be a new concept from a familiar person (A leader introducing a new idea to his team), a new person reaching people from a familiar platform (an itinerant pastor or a new pastor in an old parish) or a new concept from an entirely new person (a salesman trying to sell a new product), the first sub-conscious attitude to expect is Rejection: “Who is this?”, “What is he talking about?” What does he want with me?”, “Oh No, not another missionary”. These are some of the hidden concerns in the mind of your audience.
I said earlier that communication is about seeking to effect change. You want to change your audience’s attitude. And wherever change is expected, expect resistance. People want to defend and protect what they already know or possess. So the average person is reacting with rejection inside of him.
But you as a communicator need to get a positive attitude from your audience. What positive attitude? ATTENTION.
The only thing people have less of today, apart from disposable income and time, is attention. An effective communicator must then develop the skill of gaining people’s attention. Did I hear you say how? Here are some tips:
Always endeavour to start your message or speech with a “you” centered statement i.e. be listener-centered. Most likely start your message with a sincere compliment. Don’t start your communication by focusing on yourself. You can start by appreciating the person or audience for granting you the opportunity to speak to them in the first place.
A simple and sincere compliment about a person’s appearance or reputation, a sincere compliment about a congregation’s efforts on a building project, a sincere compliment about a business firm’s performance or market drive will do for a “you” centered entry. But DO NOT flatter. Don’t overdo the listener-centered stuff. Don’t take it to the extreme.

2. INTEREST
Apart from rejection, your audience is likely to put up INDIFFERENCE. As a good communicator, you have to overcome it and replace it with another positive attitude, which is INTEREST.
It is at this stage that you will need to arouse the interest of your audience. You have to skillfully make him interested in your message or product. The keyword here is NEED, your audience’s need. You will have to link your product with the need of your audience. This is where you ask yourself the question: ‘Why is my message/product important to my audience?’ Until your audience becomes interested in your product/project/message, you cannot convince him to take action.
So, how do you arouse interest? Here are some tips: Make a big claim. You will have to say something that will make your audience say to himself:
“Wow! If that is true, I want to listen to everything he has to say”
But please DO NOT exaggerate. Don’t ever overstate the value of your products. Don’t tell people what they want to hear. Tell them what they NEED to hear. Just make sure you tell them in such a way that they will listen. Be realistic.

3. CONVICTION
Your audience is likely to move from indifference to SKEPTICISM. At this stage, your audience is questioning the authenticity of your claim in his mind. The field here is your audience’s mind. What you need to do at this stage is to give all the facts and figures related to your claim you made.
This stage is important because you are trying to overcome skepticism and gain a positive attitude: CONVICTION. To get your audience interested is not enough, you have to convince him. He has to be convinced that he needs what you have to offer. The way to convince is to be factual and give evidence lavishly.

4. DESIRE
This is the fourth stage. If you’ve succeeded in convincing your audience, then you’ve succeeded in changing his mind. Now the field moves from his mind to his emotion. What if your audience starts saying things like his mind “Well, I think it’s a nice idea, but not right now…”, “may be later
By this I mean your audience is exhibiting a negative attitude: PROCRASTINATION. He is convinced quite alright, but he is about to postpone his decision or commitment.
Create a positive attitude to counter procrastination. Create DESIRE.
Create a desire in him/her/them. Challenge your audience to DREAM about the end result. To convince him you worked on his mind, here you have to work on his emotion. You use words like “just imagine…” Create a dream. Tantalize his imagination. And as you do this, prepare to take him to the next level.

5. COMMITMENT
As you are trying to create a desire in your audience, please know that there is something that is keeping him away from taking action: FEAR. This is the fifth and the last negative attitude you have to deal with in your audience.
How can you help your audience take away fear?
Simple.
Give a call to action. Give a clear invitation for action. Give him hope and take away his fear. You have worked on his mind; you have worked on his emotion now the field moves to his WILL. This is the time to demand for the ultimate positive attitude: COMMITMENT.
It will be a waste to communicate and never ask for action. For pastors, don’t leave that pulpit without giving a call for action.
Scholars of Roman history say that when Cicero spoke, people marveled. When Caesar spoke, people marched. Cicero was impressive. Caesar was influential. What a difference!
The five stages don’t have to always follow the order as highlighted above, but the ultimate is always COMMITMENT.

Article Source: http://www.leadershiparticles.net

Leadership & Communication: 5 Positive Attitudes in Communication

By: Muyiwa Omole

The power to lead is the power to communicate
David Sarndoff
There is nothing quite so wonderful as a good idea, there is nothing as tragic as a good idea which cannot be communicated –
Donald Ely

There can never be leadership without communication. Communication is about effecting a change in your audience’s attitude. It is about motivating people to action.
Communication is not about impressing people. I have seen that a lot of communicators just only succeed in impressing their audience. But communication is about influencing people and not about impressing them. Impressing someone changes what he/she thinks about you but influencing someone changes what they do because of you.
Leaders care little about the impression they make instead they strive to influence others to positive action.

TEN SENTENCES CAN CHANGE THE WORLD
The Gettysburg Address is one of the most memorable speeches of American history, delivered by Abraham Lincoln at the scene of the Civil War’s most costly battles. In only ten sentences, Lincoln was able to not only encapsulate the great truths he wanted to convey, but to communicate them powerfully and memorably.
Did you know there was another speaker on the dais that day in Gettysburg? His name was Edward Everett. A senator who was considered the most skilled orator of his time, he traveled around the country addressing audiences. He was the equivalent of today’s professional speaker. Eloquent, he was also long-winded his speech lasted for nearly two hours. Lincoln’s Ten Sentences trumped Everett’s two hours’.
Great leaders are not evaluated on their eloquence, but on their impact.
The question now is how do I communicate with power as a leader? How can my communication have impact on my audience?
In this article, I want to share a principle of communication with you. It is known as the “Ah! I See The Sea” model.
Actually, it is more of a principle than a model. It suggests that there are 5 major negative attitudes you will have to overcome in your audience. And that instead, there are other 5 positive attitudes you will need to create in them.

These positive attitudes are:
A I C D C
Attention Interest Conviction Desire Commitment

To easily remember the AICDC acronym, we use the phrase: Ah! I See The Sea
A I C D C
Ah I See The Sea

5 Positive Attitudes of Communication
1. Attention
2. Interest
3. Conviction
4. Desire
5. Commitment

1. ATTENTION
Whether meeting a person for the first time or getting introduced to a new product, a new idea or concept, people tend to put up a negative attitude of rejection at first. It might be a new concept from a familiar person (A leader introducing a new idea to his team), a new person reaching people from a familiar platform (a sales man marketing a familiar product) or a new concept from an entirely new person (a salesman trying to sell a new product), the first sub-conscious attitude to expect is Rejection: “Who is this?”, “What is he talking about?” What does he want with me?”, “Oh No, not another salesman”. These are some of the hidden concerns in the mind of your audience.
I said earlier that communication is about seeking to effect change. You want to change your audience’s attitude. And wherever change is expected, expect resistance. People want to defend and protect what they already know or possess. So the average person is reacting with rejection inside of him.
But you as a communicator need to get a positive attitude from your audience. What positive attitude? ATTENTION.
The only thing people have less of today, apart from disposable income and time, is attention. An effective communicator must then develop the skill of gaining people’s attention. Did I hear you say how? Here are some tips:
Always endeavor to start your message or speech with a “you” centered statement i.e. be listener-centered. Most likely start your message with a sincere compliment. Don’t start your communication by focusing on yourself. You can start by appreciating the person or audience for granting you the opportunity to speak to them in the first place.
A simple and sincere compliment about a person’s appearance or reputation, a sincere compliment about a congregation’s efforts on a building project, a sincere compliment about a business firm’s performance or market drive will do for a “you” centered entry. But DO NOT flatter. Don’t overdo the listener-centered stuff. Don’t take it to the extreme.
Another listener-centered method is to connect with your audience by saying something in his/her/their local language or dialect. In the same vein, every business organization or corporation has its own local language. Get yourself acquainted with the business culture of your audience.

2. INTEREST
Apart from rejection, your audience is likely to put up INDIFFERENCE. As a good communicator, you have to overcome it and replace it with another positive attitude, which is INTEREST.
It is at this stage that you will need to arouse the interest of your audience. You have to skillfully make him interested in your message or product. The keyword here is NEED, your audience’s need. You will have to link your product with the need of your audience. This is where you ask yourself the question: ‘Why is my message/product important to my audience?’ Until your audience becomes interested in your product/project/message, you cannot convince him to take action.
So, how do you arouse interest? Here are some tips: Make a big claim. You will have to say something that will make your audience say to himself:
“Wow! If that is true, I want to listen to everything he has to say”

But please DO NOT exaggerate. Don’t ever overstate the value of your products. Don’t tell people what they want to hear. Tell them what they NEED to hear. Just make sure you tell them in such a way that they will listen. Be realistic.

3. CONVICTION
Your audience is likely to move from indifference to SKEPTICISM. At this stage, your audience is questioning the authenticity of your claim in his mind. The field here is your audience’s mind. What you need to do at this stage is to give all the facts and figures related to your claim you made.
This stage is important because you are trying to overcome skepticism and gain a positive attitude: CONVICTION. To get your audience interested is not enough, you have to convince him. He has to be convinced that he needs what you have to offer. The way to convince is to be factual and give evidence lavishly.

4. DESIRE
This is the fourth stage. If you’ve succeeded in convincing your audience, then you’ve succeeded in changing his mind. Now the field moves from his mind to his emotion. What if your audience starts saying things like his mind “Well, I think it’s a nice idea, but not right now…”, “may be later.”
By this I mean your audience is exhibiting a negative attitude: PROCRASTINATION. He is convinced quite alright, but he is about to postpone his decision or commitment.
This is the stage that King Agrippa got to when Paul was addressing him, but he never made a decision (Acts 26:28-30). When you notice this in your audience, what do you do?
Create a positive attitude to counter procrastination. Create DESIRE.
Create a desire in him/her/them. Challenge your audience to DREAM about the end result. To convince him you worked on his mind, here you have to work on his emotion. You use words like “just imagine…” Create a dream. Tantalize his imagination. And as you do this, prepare to take him to the next level.

5. COMMITMENT
As you are trying to create a desire in your audience, please know that there is something that is keeping him away from taking action: FEAR. This is the fifth and the last negative attitude you have to deal with in your audience.
How can you help your audience take away fear?
Simple.
Give a call to action. Give a clear invitation for action. Give him hope and take away his fear. You have worked on his mind; you have worked on his emotion now the field moves to his WILL. This is the time to demand for the ultimate positive attitude: COMMITMENT.
It will be a waste to communicate and never ask for action. Scholars of Roman history say that when Cicero spoke, people marveled. When Caesar spoke, people marched. Cicero was impressive. Caesar was influential. What a difference!
Great messages end with a call to action. Todd Beamer, a hero on hijacked flight united 93, September 11 2001 made famous the phrase “Let’s roll”. His action and those of his colleagues may well have saved many lives.
Too many communicate without a clear call to action. Every email, phone call, conversation, speech or message can and probably should conclude with “Let’s do it” indicated: Let’s move forward, take the next step, get involved, play your part etc.
The five stages don’t have to always follow the order as highlighted above, but the ultimate is always COMMITMENT.

I want you to also note that it is not compulsory to push your audience to the level of commitment in a day or in a single contact. Be sensitive. Don’t push your audience. Don’t abuse the opportunity. Make sure by the time you are leaving your audience will be willing to have you around next time.
The “Ah! I See The Sea” Principle works. It works every time. It works everywhere. It works for marketing, advertisement, recruitment, fund raising, counseling, and even preaching.
Try it.

FIVE POSITIVE ATTITUDES GRID
ATTITUDE TO OVERCOME REJECTION INDIFFERENCE SKEPTICISM PROCRASTINATION FEAR
KEYWORD ENTRY NEED SOLUTION DREAM ACTION
HOW TO HANDLE • Be listener-centered
• Sincere compliment
• Speak audience language • Make a big claim
• Be Realistic
• Well - Worded • Facts and Figures
• Related Benefit
• Evidence Just Imagine • Clear Invitation
• Take away Fear
DESIRED ATTITUDE ATTENTION INTEREST CONVICTION DESIRE COMMITMENT
MIND EMOTION WILL

Leadership & Communication: 5 Positive Attitudes in Communication

The power to lead is the power to communicate
David Sarndoff
There is nothing quite so wonderful as a good idea, there is nothing as tragic as a good idea which cannot be communicated –
Donald Ely

There can never be leadership without communication. Communication is about effecting a change in your audience’s attitude. It is about motivating people to action.
Communication is not about impressing people. I have seen that a lot of communicators just only succeed in impressing their audience. But communication is about influencing people and not about impressing them. Impressing someone changes what he/she thinks about you but influencing someone changes what they do because of you.
Leaders care little about the impression they make instead they strive to influence others to positive action.
Great leaders are not evaluated on their eloquence, but on their impact.
The question now is how do I communicate with power as a leader? How can my communication have impact on my audience?
In this article, I want to share a principle of communication with you

5 Positive Attitudes of Communication
6. Attention
7. Interest
8. Conviction
9. Desire
10. Commitment

1. ATTENTION
Whether meeting a person for the first time or getting introduced to a new product, a new idea or concept, people tend to put up a negative attitude of rejection at first. It might be a new concept from a familiar person (A leader introducing a new idea to his team), a new person reaching people from a familiar platform (an itinerant pastor or a new pastor in an old parish) or a new concept from an entirely new person (a salesman trying to sell a new product), the first sub-conscious attitude to expect is Rejection: “Who is this?”, “What is he talking about?” What does he want with me?”, “Oh No, not another missionary”. These are some of the hidden concerns in the mind of your audience.
I said earlier that communication is about seeking to effect change. You want to change your audience’s attitude. And wherever change is expected, expect resistance. People want to defend and protect what they already know or possess. So the average person is reacting with rejection inside of him.
But you as a communicator need to get a positive attitude from your audience. What positive attitude? ATTENTION.
The only thing people have less of today, apart from disposable income and time, is attention. An effective communicator must then develop the skill of gaining people’s attention. Did I hear you say how? Here are some tips:
Always endeavour to start your message or speech with a “you” centered statement i.e. be listener-centered. Most likely start your message with a sincere compliment. Don’t start your communication by focusing on yourself. You can start by appreciating the person or audience for granting you the opportunity to speak to them in the first place.
A simple and sincere compliment about a person’s appearance or reputation, a sincere compliment about a congregation’s efforts on a building project, a sincere compliment about a business firm’s performance or market drive will do for a “you” centered entry. But DO NOT flatter. Don’t overdo the listener-centered stuff. Don’t take it to the extreme.

2. INTEREST
Apart from rejection, your audience is likely to put up INDIFFERENCE. As a good communicator, you have to overcome it and replace it with another positive attitude, which is INTEREST.
It is at this stage that you will need to arouse the interest of your audience. You have to skillfully make him interested in your message or product. The keyword here is NEED, your audience’s need. You will have to link your product with the need of your audience. This is where you ask yourself the question: ‘Why is my message/product important to my audience?’ Until your audience becomes interested in your product/project/message, you cannot convince him to take action.
So, how do you arouse interest? Here are some tips: Make a big claim. You will have to say something that will make your audience say to himself:
“Wow! If that is true, I want to listen to everything he has to say”
But please DO NOT exaggerate. Don’t ever overstate the value of your products. Don’t tell people what they want to hear. Tell them what they NEED to hear. Just make sure you tell them in such a way that they will listen. Be realistic.

3. CONVICTION
Your audience is likely to move from indifference to SKEPTICISM. At this stage, your audience is questioning the authenticity of your claim in his mind. The field here is your audience’s mind. What you need to do at this stage is to give all the facts and figures related to your claim you made.
This stage is important because you are trying to overcome skepticism and gain a positive attitude: CONVICTION. To get your audience interested is not enough, you have to convince him. He has to be convinced that he needs what you have to offer. The way to convince is to be factual and give evidence lavishly.

4. DESIRE
This is the fourth stage. If you’ve succeeded in convincing your audience, then you’ve succeeded in changing his mind. Now the field moves from his mind to his emotion. What if your audience starts saying things like his mind “Well, I think it’s a nice idea, but not right now…”, “may be later
By this I mean your audience is exhibiting a negative attitude: PROCRASTINATION. He is convinced quite alright, but he is about to postpone his decision or commitment.
Create a positive attitude to counter procrastination. Create DESIRE.
Create a desire in him/her/them. Challenge your audience to DREAM about the end result. To convince him you worked on his mind, here you have to work on his emotion. You use words like “just imagine…” Create a dream. Tantalize his imagination. And as you do this, prepare to take him to the next level.

5. COMMITMENT
As you are trying to create a desire in your audience, please know that there is something that is keeping him away from taking action: FEAR. This is the fifth and the last negative attitude you have to deal with in your audience.
How can you help your audience take away fear?
Simple.
Give a call to action. Give a clear invitation for action. Give him hope and take away his fear. You have worked on his mind; you have worked on his emotion now the field moves to his WILL. This is the time to demand for the ultimate positive attitude: COMMITMENT.
It will be a waste to communicate and never ask for action. For pastors, don’t leave that pulpit without giving a call for action.
Scholars of Roman history say that when Cicero spoke, people marveled. When Caesar spoke, people marched. Cicero was impressive. Caesar was influential. What a difference!
The five stages don’t have to always follow the order as highlighted above, but the ultimate is always COMMITMENT.

Article Source: http://www.leadershiparticles.net

The Problem With Leadership

By: Dan MacDonald

The Problem with Leadership
Why it is so hard for companies to find great leaders?
By Dan MacDonald

When leaders are chosen, the decision is often based on the wrong criteria. Many look to people with strong, charismatic personalities, or passion for personal achievement. They look to people who are commanding or who manage the efforts of others well. Some people even look to physical attributes as an indication of leadership ability.

The misconceptions of what makes a person a good leader are not limited to these factors. They also include our choices of personality characteristics. Some see great leaders as people who can mesmerize a crowd with their stage performance, who can make those around them relax with their confidence, or who can think circles around other senior people in the organization. In reality, these traits and characteristics are not indicators of great leaders. Rather, great leaders are characterized by their focus on integrity over stage performance, passion for what is best for the company over self-importance, humility and passing forward credit over ego, and empowering their people over making decisions on their behalf. There have been numerous books written, researches conducted, and data compiled that point to these findings; however, even extraordinary companies with insightful, intelligent, and experienced boards of directors and senior executives have erroneously chosen leaders based on their perception of leadership capabilities.

Take Hewlett Packard for instance. In January of 1999, Hewlett Packard’s board of directors met in the Garden Court Hotel in Palo Alto, California to discuss, among other things, the rapid changes in business caused by the unsubstantiated growth of internet IPOs. There was concern among the board that changing times may call for a leader better suited to lead the company into the future. In his book, How the Mighty Fall, Jim Collins summarizes this concern best, stating that, “HP’s stalling growth and languishing stock price relative to the skyrocketing technology sector lend credence to a growing worry that HP needed an entirely new type of leader”. At the meeting, Lewis Platt, then CEO of HP, suggested he retire early to make room for an appropriate leader. The board accepted and replaced him with Carly Fiorina, announcing, in July of that year, that she would become the next CEO of Hewlett Packard.

Lewis Platt and the board of directors believed that a new CEO with a fresh perspective would help mobilize the company towards the rapidly-changing landscape of the technology industry. Fiorina, who once held Forbes magazine’s ‘Most Powerful Woman in Business’ title and had an impressive background as Executive VP at AT&T, was just the type of executive HP was looking for. In retrospect, it seems as though the board of directors may have erred on its judgment; during Fiorina’s tenure HP realized its first loss, its stock price fell from $45.36 to $20.14 and heavy job losses were incurred. In comparison, Platt, the Ford Taurus-driving down-to-earth former CEO, grew HP from $16.2 to $42 billion and earned Chief Executive Magazine’s distinction as the 11th all time wealth creator.

After closely examining HP, it becomes evident that leadership plays an important role in the rise or fall of an organization. Leaders can either drive organizations to market capitalization of hundreds of millions dollars or to losses as equally great. It is hard to dispute that leadership does not play a vital role in the success of a company, yet many organizations do not have systems in place to identify and develop potential future leaders.

Consider Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart. From a young age, Walton displayed a natural ability to lead. In high school, he was the starting quarterback of the football team and never lost a game. He was Vice President of the student body in his junior year and president his senior year. He was voted ‘Permanent President’ of his graduating class in university. But Walton didn’t fit the standard description of a leader. He was not an Ivy League school graduate and did not hold an MBA. Walton was a humble, scrappy, pick-up driving country boy.

Walton went to work as a manager trainee at JC Penney three days after graduating university marking the beginning of a passionate love affair with the retail industry that would help shape the remainder of his life and affect the lives of millions of people. At JC Penney, Walton embraced the customer centric JC Penney approach to retailing – especially JC Penney Ideas #2 and #3, guiding principles related to giving the customer the most value for their money. But Walton was not the most thorough employee; he hated making the customer wait while he completed paperwork, so his books were a mess. His boss often threatened to fire him, saying he was not cut out for the retail business. Walton managed to hold onto his position because of his ability as a salesman. After only 18 months with the company, Walton resigned.

If JC Penney had systems in place to identify the leadership potential in Walton, they may have been able to entice him to stay and develop him into their future leader. Instead, he started his own department store which would rival and eventually surpass JC Penney in the quest for retail dominance. As many companies began to adopt the ‘promote from within’ mindset, these types of leadership development systems are becoming more and more common. The problem is many of these companies base their criteria for identifying future leaders on misconceptions of what makes a great leader.

Very few people can pick great leaders, so the question remains—how do we create a system for identifying great leaders in the early stages of their development? Do we use psychometrics profiles to identify the leaders with the best traits and fast track them on a path to more senior roles? Do we let the people inside or outside the organization decide who will be the next leader? Many decisions must be made but before making these decisions we must be aware of our faults in choosing leaders. Organizations need new ways of deciding who will be a leader, as leadership impacts the organization as a whole. Hard-working employees rely on their leaders to make the right choices for the company and ensure the employees have a future with the organization.

It’s difficult to know the right answers but it’s clear that investing in the development of potential future leaders will provide a company with advantages over organizations that hire people from outside to fill internal leadership roles. As a result, companies are turning to post secondary institutions like the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) to assist them to develop their leaders from within. Their innovative Leadership Program will assist companies to develop the skills and abilities of their potential leaders (http://www.nait.ca/cit/245.htm). Forward thinking companies are already realizing the benefits that can be achieved by investing in their people and consequently the future of their organization.

Sources: Collins, J. (2009 ). How the Mighty Fall. USA: Harpercollins. HP. (2009). Executive Team. Retrieved September 8, 2009 from www.hp.com/hpinfo/execteam/bios/fiorina.html. Entrepreneur. (2009). Sam Walton. Retrieved September 8, 2009 from www.entrepreneur.com/growyourbusiness/radicalsandvisionaries/article197560.html. Walton, S. (1992). Sam Walton: Made in America. USA/Canada: Bantam Books. 

Article Source: http://www.leadershiparticles.net

The Problem With Leadership

By: Dan MacDonald

The Problem with Leadership
Why it is so hard for companies to find great leaders?
By Dan MacDonald

When leaders are chosen, the decision is often based on the wrong criteria. Many look to people with strong, charismatic personalities, or passion for personal achievement. They look to people who are commanding or who manage the efforts of others well. Some people even look to physical attributes as an indication of leadership ability.

The misconceptions of what makes a person a good leader are not limited to these factors. They also include our choices of personality characteristics. Some see great leaders as people who can mesmerize a crowd with their stage performance, who can make those around them relax with their confidence, or who can think circles around other senior people in the organization. In reality, these traits and characteristics are not indicators of great leaders. Rather, great leaders are characterized by their focus on integrity over stage performance, passion for what is best for the company over self-importance, humility and passing forward credit over ego, and empowering their people over making decisions on their behalf. There have been numerous books written, researches conducted, and data compiled that point to these findings; however, even extraordinary companies with insightful, intelligent, and experienced boards of directors and senior executives have erroneously chosen leaders based on their perception of leadership capabilities.

Take Hewlett Packard for instance. In January of 1999, Hewlett Packard’s board of directors met in the Garden Court Hotel in Palo Alto, California to discuss, among other things, the rapid changes in business caused by the unsubstantiated growth of internet IPOs. There was concern among the board that changing times may call for a leader better suited to lead the company into the future. In his book, How the Mighty Fall, Jim Collins summarizes this concern best, stating that, “HP’s stalling growth and languishing stock price relative to the skyrocketing technology sector lend credence to a growing worry that HP needed an entirely new type of leader”. At the meeting, Lewis Platt, then CEO of HP, suggested he retire early to make room for an appropriate leader. The board accepted and replaced him with Carly Fiorina, announcing, in July of that year, that she would become the next CEO of Hewlett Packard.

Lewis Platt and the board of directors believed that a new CEO with a fresh perspective would help mobilize the company towards the rapidly-changing landscape of the technology industry. Fiorina, who once held Forbes magazine’s ‘Most Powerful Woman in Business’ title and had an impressive background as Executive VP at AT&T, was just the type of executive HP was looking for. In retrospect, it seems as though the board of directors may have erred on its judgment; during Fiorina’s tenure HP realized its first loss, its stock price fell from $45.36 to $20.14 and heavy job losses were incurred. In comparison, Platt, the Ford Taurus-driving down-to-earth former CEO, grew HP from $16.2 to $42 billion and earned Chief Executive Magazine’s distinction as the 11th all time wealth creator.

After closely examining HP, it becomes evident that leadership plays an important role in the rise or fall of an organization. Leaders can either drive organizations to market capitalization of hundreds of millions dollars or to losses as equally great. It is hard to dispute that leadership does not play a vital role in the success of a company, yet many organizations do not have systems in place to identify and develop potential future leaders.

Consider Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart. From a young age, Walton displayed a natural ability to lead. In high school, he was the starting quarterback of the football team and never lost a game. He was Vice President of the student body in his junior year and president his senior year. He was voted ‘Permanent President’ of his graduating class in university. But Walton didn’t fit the standard description of a leader. He was not an Ivy League school graduate and did not hold an MBA. Walton was a humble, scrappy, pick-up driving country boy.

Walton went to work as a manager trainee at JC Penney three days after graduating university marking the beginning of a passionate love affair with the retail industry that would help shape the remainder of his life and affect the lives of millions of people. At JC Penney, Walton embraced the customer centric JC Penney approach to retailing – especially JC Penney Ideas #2 and #3, guiding principles related to giving the customer the most value for their money. But Walton was not the most thorough employee; he hated making the customer wait while he completed paperwork, so his books were a mess. His boss often threatened to fire him, saying he was not cut out for the retail business. Walton managed to hold onto his position because of his ability as a salesman. After only 18 months with the company, Walton resigned.

If JC Penney had systems in place to identify the leadership potential in Walton, they may have been able to entice him to stay and develop him into their future leader. Instead, he started his own department store which would rival and eventually surpass JC Penney in the quest for retail dominance. As many companies began to adopt the ‘promote from within’ mindset, these types of leadership development systems are becoming more and more common. The problem is many of these companies base their criteria for identifying future leaders on misconceptions of what makes a great leader.

Very few people can pick great leaders, so the question remains—how do we create a system for identifying great leaders in the early stages of their development? Do we use psychometrics profiles to identify the leaders with the best traits and fast track them on a path to more senior roles? Do we let the people inside or outside the organization decide who will be the next leader? Many decisions must be made but before making these decisions we must be aware of our faults in choosing leaders. Organizations need new ways of deciding who will be a leader, as leadership impacts the organization as a whole. Hard-working employees rely on their leaders to make the right choices for the company and ensure the employees have a future with the organization.

It’s difficult to know the right answers but it’s clear that investing in the development of potential future leaders will provide a company with advantages over organizations that hire people from outside to fill internal leadership roles. As a result, companies are turning to post secondary institutions like the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) to assist them to develop their leaders from within. Their innovative Leadership Program will assist companies to develop the skills and abilities of their potential leaders (http://www.nait.ca/cit/245.htm). Forward thinking companies are already realizing the benefits that can be achieved by investing in their people and consequently the future of their organization.

Sources: Collins, J. (2009 ). How the Mighty Fall. USA: Harpercollins. HP. (2009). Executive Team. Retrieved September 8, 2009 from www.hp.com/hpinfo/execteam/bios/fiorina.html. Entrepreneur. (2009). Sam Walton. Retrieved September 8, 2009 from www.entrepreneur.com/growyourbusiness/radicalsandvisionaries/article197560.html. Walton, S. (1992). Sam Walton: Made in America. USA/Canada: Bantam Books. 

Article Source: http://www.leadershiparticles.net

The Problem With Leadership

By: Dan MacDonald

The Problem with Leadership
Why it is so hard for companies to find great leaders?
By Dan MacDonald

When leaders are chosen, the decision is often based on the wrong criteria. Many look to people with strong, charismatic personalities, or passion for personal achievement. They look to people who are commanding or who manage the efforts of others well. Some people even look to physical attributes as an indication of leadership ability.

The misconceptions of what makes a person a good leader are not limited to these factors. They also include our choices of personality characteristics. Some see great leaders as people who can mesmerize a crowd with their stage performance, who can make those around them relax with their confidence, or who can think circles around other senior people in the organization. In reality, these traits and characteristics are not indicators of great leaders. Rather, great leaders are characterized by their focus on integrity over stage performance, passion for what is best for the company over self-importance, humility and passing forward credit over ego, and empowering their people over making decisions on their behalf. There have been numerous books written, researches conducted, and data compiled that point to these findings; however, even extraordinary companies with insightful, intelligent, and experienced boards of directors and senior executives have erroneously chosen leaders based on their perception of leadership capabilities.

Take Hewlett Packard for instance. In January of 1999, Hewlett Packard’s board of directors met in the Garden Court Hotel in Palo Alto, California to discuss, among other things, the rapid changes in business caused by the unsubstantiated growth of internet IPOs. There was concern among the board that changing times may call for a leader better suited to lead the company into the future. In his book, How the Mighty Fall, Jim Collins summarizes this concern best, stating that, “HP’s stalling growth and languishing stock price relative to the skyrocketing technology sector lend credence to a growing worry that HP needed an entirely new type of leader”. At the meeting, Lewis Platt, then CEO of HP, suggested he retire early to make room for an appropriate leader. The board accepted and replaced him with Carly Fiorina, announcing, in July of that year, that she would become the next CEO of Hewlett Packard.

Lewis Platt and the board of directors believed that a new CEO with a fresh perspective would help mobilize the company towards the rapidly-changing landscape of the technology industry. Fiorina, who once held Forbes magazine’s ‘Most Powerful Woman in Business’ title and had an impressive background as Executive VP at AT&T, was just the type of executive HP was looking for. In retrospect, it seems as though the board of directors may have erred on its judgment; during Fiorina’s tenure HP realized its first loss, its stock price fell from $45.36 to $20.14 and heavy job losses were incurred. In comparison, Platt, the Ford Taurus-driving down-to-earth former CEO, grew HP from $16.2 to $42 billion and earned Chief Executive Magazine’s distinction as the 11th all time wealth creator.

After closely examining HP, it becomes evident that leadership plays an important role in the rise or fall of an organization. Leaders can either drive organizations to market capitalization of hundreds of millions dollars or to losses as equally great. It is hard to dispute that leadership does not play a vital role in the success of a company, yet many organizations do not have systems in place to identify and develop potential future leaders.

Consider Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart. From a young age, Walton displayed a natural ability to lead. In high school, he was the starting quarterback of the football team and never lost a game. He was Vice President of the student body in his junior year and president his senior year. He was voted ‘Permanent President’ of his graduating class in university. But Walton didn’t fit the standard description of a leader. He was not an Ivy League school graduate and did not hold an MBA. Walton was a humble, scrappy, pick-up driving country boy.

Walton went to work as a manager trainee at JC Penney three days after graduating university marking the beginning of a passionate love affair with the retail industry that would help shape the remainder of his life and affect the lives of millions of people. At JC Penney, Walton embraced the customer centric JC Penney approach to retailing – especially JC Penney Ideas #2 and #3, guiding principles related to giving the customer the most value for their money. But Walton was not the most thorough employee; he hated making the customer wait while he completed paperwork, so his books were a mess. His boss often threatened to fire him, saying he was not cut out for the retail business. Walton managed to hold onto his position because of his ability as a salesman. After only 18 months with the company, Walton resigned.

If JC Penney had systems in place to identify the leadership potential in Walton, they may have been able to entice him to stay and develop him into their future leader. Instead, he started his own department store which would rival and eventually surpass JC Penney in the quest for retail dominance. As many companies began to adopt the ‘promote from within’ mindset, these types of leadership development systems are becoming more and more common. The problem is many of these companies base their criteria for identifying future leaders on misconceptions of what makes a great leader.

Very few people can pick great leaders, so the question remains—how do we create a system for identifying great leaders in the early stages of their development? Do we use psychometrics profiles to identify the leaders with the best traits and fast track them on a path to more senior roles? Do we let the people inside or outside the organization decide who will be the next leader? Many decisions must be made but before making these decisions we must be aware of our faults in choosing leaders. Organizations need new ways of deciding who will be a leader, as leadership impacts the organization as a whole. Hard-working employees rely on their leaders to make the right choices for the company and ensure the employees have a future with the organization.

It’s difficult to know the right answers but it’s clear that investing in the development of potential future leaders will provide a company with advantages over organizations that hire people from outside to fill internal leadership roles. As a result, companies are turning to post secondary institutions like the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) to assist them to develop their leaders from within. Their innovative Leadership Program will assist companies to develop the skills and abilities of their potential leaders (http://www.nait.ca/cit/245.htm). Forward thinking companies are already realizing the benefits that can be achieved by investing in their people and consequently the future of their organization.

Sources: Collins, J. (2009 ). How the Mighty Fall. USA: Harpercollins. HP. (2009). Executive Team. Retrieved September 8, 2009 from www.hp.com/hpinfo/execteam/bios/fiorina.html. Entrepreneur. (2009). Sam Walton. Retrieved September 8, 2009 from www.entrepreneur.com/growyourbusiness/radicalsandvisionaries/article197560.html. Walton, S. (1992). Sam Walton: Made in America. USA/Canada: Bantam Books. 

Article Source: http://www.leadershiparticles.net