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Sometimes You Have to Say “NO”

I have deleted the Facebook app off my phone. It is a huge relief.

Over the past few months I have become more and more disillusioned with Facebook.

It sucks up huge chunks of my day and I let it. I seem to pay more attention to it than I do my gorgeous wife. I will spend large amounts of time looking at it and then feel worse afterwards. My comparing and competing is at an all time high (that is, I look at what others are doing and think, “why aren’t I doing that”) and all the political rubbish was syphoning all the hope and positivity out of my life.

Something had to be done.

I deleted it off my phone and only access it for limited amounts of time during the day on my computer.

I feel so much better.

My hope has lifted, I am less concerned with other peoples business, my focus has returned to the actions I need to take, I engage more with my wife and my dog and I am continuing to look at what counts.

What you say No to determines your success far more than what you say Yes to.

I am slowly saying No to more social media and it is helping me get a clearer and healthier perspective on my world and the world around me.

Sometimes you have to say “NO”. What will you say NO to?

Do Short Cuts Save You?

Over the weekend I was hosting and presenting at a clients promotional roadshow. On the Sunday the event was at one of the major events centres in Australia.

The centre itself is very impressive. There were friendly staff directing everyone to where they needed to go and happily helping you with whatever you needed.

It was a little different in the event room itself.

Don’t get me wrong, the staff were friendly but there was a major issue with the Audio Visual (AV) and the response was “lacking” at best!

Here is a summary of a few things that happened:

The lapel mic packs were the short range ones not the long range ones so they lost signal every now and again
My mic pack died five minutes into the welcome (Luckily I could turn it into a joke and got them to change it on the fly while I kept speaking)
The replacement mic pack popped and crackled every time I got loud and excited (I get loud and excited a lot!)
The main speakers mic pack popped and crackled every time she got loud and excited
The remote for the presentation struggled to connect and always seemed to have a time delay in pressing the button and advancing a slide
The AV system reset itself and the lights and screen flicked on and off for half a second just before the main speaker came on stage
The friendly staff member on the desk was incredibly junior and didn’t really know what was going on – they were out of their depth
The senior staff member was the duty manager and not an AV person

Do you get the picture?

At the lunch break we completely changed out the AV desk for the more powerful, long range mics and our team came up with a strategy for the presentation remote which seemed to work.

It felt like this shiny, pristine venue was trying to take a short cuts and cost cutting by having junior staff and lower end AV equipment. The outcome is an unhappy client who will be asking for a partial refund and who is also questioning the additional 10 days they have booked at that centre and any other work they may do with them.

Customer service MUST be a long term game. The short cuts you take can cost you dearly in the end.

What about for you? Do short cuts save you?

Do You See the Full Picture?

Gutters roof
Image: ShutterStock

A few years ago, we had the gutters replaced on our house. They came, measured the existing gutters, quoted for new ones and then we had the job done.

I have been cursing them ever since.

What they did was look at what we had and then replace it. What they didn’t do is look at the full picture.

We have two pieces of spouting coming off the roof and onto another section that is the roof for the double garage and a bedroom. This flows into a gutter which has only one down pipe. Every time we have a strong rainfall (like last night) the gutter overflows on the building side of the gutter.

What this means is that we have had some interior waterfalls – mainly in the garage but once in the spare room.

The gutter people did not look at the big picture. The did not consider what we NEEDED versus what we HAD.

I see this in business all the time. Suppliers not considering what is in the best interest of the customer and focussing only on what they can sell.

As an MC, I see it in conferences way too often. The speaker sticking with their usual program rather than considering who is in the room and what their client actually wanted to achieve.

What about you?

Do you consider the needs of those around you? Do you take the time and look at the FULL picture?

What’s Your Hobby?

This week is a special week.

It is a special week because both of my hobbies start again.

As I have commented before, I study with Impro Melbourne and sing with Mood Swing and this week we are back into rehearsals to get ready for some upcoming performances.

I have always been a fan of having a hobby. There are many different research papers showing that early retirement can lead to an early death and I believe that some of that is due to retiree’s not knowing who they are outside the work environment. I have seen this frequently for men in business.

Their identity is wrapped up in what they do rather than who they are.

Having a hobby can help combat this. Hobbies also tap into your passion and can energise and stabilise your emotive state while dealing with the other situations life throws at you.

By the way, a family is not a hobby! A hobby has to be something you do for YOU. Something that inspires YOU, challenges YOU, pushes YOU and delights YOU.
Like my hobbies, they can also contribute to your professional life but that is not the primary reason to choose a particular hobby.

So, what’s your hobby? When do you start?

Do You Rock?

2017-01-22 Chris Wilson

Over the weekend my vocal coach, Zerafina Zara, and I went to see one of Australia’s music legends, Chris Wilson.

Musically, he was amazing. I am yet to see anyone play harmonica better than he does and his raspy vocals inject such soul into his music. To be honest, the drummer and the guitarist were also fantastic.

But here’s the thing. Being a great muso is not enough!

Many may argue that is “should” be enough but the reality is, being a muso alone is not enough. When I put my event professional hat on and consider a performance as a Master MC, I think you need to be more.

My personal philosophy is that ANYONE who steps on stage to be in front of an audience, regardless of whether you are a rock star, a CEO, a speaker or a bride giving a speech, you must be Yourself, Amplified.

You have to be yourself because authenticity is essential to connecting to you audience and you have to be amplified as your work has to come across strongly and be able to break through any resistance. Your amplification of energy and confidence will do this.

Chris’ first bracket was fine. Good music performed will but he didn’t connect to the audience. This was contrasted with his second bracket. He chatted to us, made some jokes and told a story. The difference in energy in the room was noticeable.

The key element of success in any presentation or performance is to remember that “It is all about the audience.” They have to be connected with you, emotionally and energetically. You can do this via a ~~good~~ great introduction, looking at the audience, playing with the audience, acknowledging they are here and what it took for them to get here, or including them in your story.

When you connect with the audience, the whole place ROCKS! Your music and your message gets across easier, your fan base love you a little bit more and your event raises the bar that little bit higher.

So when you present, do you engage with your audience? Do you make them want to see you again?

Do you rock?

PS Here is a bit more of Chris for your enjoyment!

Summer Wonderland

Last week I was lucky enough to give away a holiday for two people, including tickets to the Super Bowl in Houston, worth over $20,000. It was all part of Air New Zealand’s new launch of Dave, the Frequent Flyer (That’s him pictured above – click on him to see him in action).

I like Air NZ. They are very clever but show it with a great sense of humour and humanity.

Dave is great way to show an alternate way for long haul travel.
Their new Christmas message (basically, it’s really hot in the southern hemisphere over summer, so no snow for us) is a fabulous mix up of the cheeky personality of Julian Dennison (the kid from Hunt for the Wilderpeople) and fabulous music from Ronan Keating. Click the image below to see the short film – it’s worth it.

They frequently have fights with other airlines on twitter. Recently it was with Aer Lingus. The best thing is that with their fights, everyone wins!
So much of their work is not a blatant promotion of their airline but generating fun while reminding you of what they do.

So how do you bring humour and humanity to what you do? How do relax and just enjoy the Summer Wonderland?

And the Winner Is …

Image: Shutterstock.com

It has been said that business is a game. If so, how do you play?
Who is the winner at the end?
Who is the winner as you go?

The arts are a great place for competition. The true artists know that it is not about them or their production, it is all about the audience, their customer. By making their customer the winner, they become winners too.

As an example, I saw a fabulous piece of improv theatre last night by my favourite improv troupe, Impro Melbourne. It was team against team, both striving for points. Both teams had been magnificent making us laugh, ponder, pause, even cry (almost) and at the end of the final round, the scores were level.

Oh no!

The host then declared a best of three Hat Off to decide the winner. A Hat Off is where the two players act out a scene while wearing a hat. Each player has to try and get the hat off the other player in the context of the scene. If they get it, they win. But if they try for it and miss, then they lose.

The first two out of the best of three competed and played well. But again, at the end of those two rounds the scores were still level. The final round would be the decider.

Two fine players, Rik and Katherine stepped up to the mark and as they started Rik did the unthinkable. He did what no one expected. He took his hat off and threw it on the floor in front of Katherine. He then told her to not pick it up as it symbolised their love and if she did it was over. A bit of toing and froing and finally Katherine succumbed and picked it up making her team the winner.

The real winner was the audience. Rik knew that throwing the hat down had a huuuuge chance of their team losing the match. But what it meant was that the audience got something unexpected. It got a framework of temptation that they had not thought about. Their level of tension and enjoyment was kicked up a notch.

They left with an increased feeling of satisfaction and an increased likelihood of returning and bringing their friends with them.

In great customer service, the focus has to be on the customer. Only by making the experience fantastic and memorable for them will your business continue to thrive. When you start to compete against your customer, you will always lose.

What about your customer? What would they say if you asked, “And the winner is?”

PS Want to make 2017 a Winner of a year?
Be sure to register for the full day planning session to make it happen.
You can get all the details here and take advantage of the early bird pricing.

What If You Have Nothing To Say?

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and all of a sudden you have nothing to say?

By the time you think of what you need to say it’s 30 minutes later in an elevator! In your head you have the conversation. “They would say …. and I would say … and they would respond ….”

With everything going on in your life today you know it is going to happen at some stage.

Maybe it’s on a stage? Maybe it is when you are introducing someone at an event and you suddenly forget their name or the location you are in. Maybe the sponsors name slips from your mind – so what do you do?

Personally, I just make stuff up and keep talking!

I don’t just make anything up. I make up something relevant, something about what is happening around me, hopefully something funny or so unfunny people think it’s a dad joke.
I work with what is in the room so that everyone can share the fun of what is happening.

This is the art of Improv.

The lovely Tanya (or as I call her Door Number 1) accompanied me to Theatre Sports recently, as performed by one of Australia’s premier improv companies, Impro Melbourne.

The stories we were beguiled with ranged included: the singing chickens at the country fair, the romantic version of Hansel and Gretel (with stalker room mate), the pivot table Shakespearean Halloween story, Euripides in the Wollongong Caravan park – plus many more.

The power of Improv is in the “Yes and.” It means you take what you have and then build on it with the intent of making your partner (or the audience) look great.

This concept is also powerful in every day conversation, showing that you listen or finding something to say when your brain suddenly stops and you have nothing to say.

So what will you say?

PS
If you are interested in Improv at all, I highly recommend you check out Impro Melbourne shows and Workshops. I have long been a student of theirs and it has really pushed my MC/Speaker work to the next level. If you are not based in Melbourne, an internet search will help find a company near you to visit.

PPS
Booking for the 2017 Success Session have started. If you want to make 2017 your best year ever, check out the details of the day to be held here in Melbourne and take advantage of the early bird special.

Small is Big

It’s Upside Down

I’m not sure about you, but we seem to have it backwards sometimes. The BIG things seem to be small and the LITTLE things seem to be big.

I spent the day with my gorgeous wife yesterday visiting family and friends. Just the act of spending time with her means so much to me. I really enjoy her company and the many conversations we have. Some are deep and meaningful and others are ridiculous and nonsensical.

I have some friends that we catch up with every now and again. Nothing spectacular. Just to get together and share what is happening in our lives. How work is, what we are thinking about and what entertainment we may have seen lately.

Don’t get me wrong. It is not that the BIG things don’t count, but the consistent little things truly make my heart sing.

So what little thing will you do today for someone in your life?

No Image Available

img: wikicommons

How was your week? Did you do some amazing things?

I did. I did some cool things with cool people. I went to some amazing places. I even did some simple things as well as some things I didn’t really want to do.

At no stage did I take a photo of any of it.

We seem to have become the more self focussed than ever. It seems that if there is no photo of it, it didn’t happen. But not only a photo of it, but that photo has to be shared on multiple different social media outlets and then we wait and see how many likes we got.

Eleanor Roosevelt famously said, “What other people think of me is none of my business.”

Now more than ever, we seem to give our power to other people and their opinons. We even go looking for their opinions.

It seems that we have discounted quality in favour of quantity. We want many random strangers to give us approval by clicking a button rather than getting personalised feedback from someone who truly counts in our life.

Maybe it is time we put the phone down, enjoyed the moment for what it is and truly enjoy being there, regardless of who knows we are there or not.

Quite simply, for much of what we do, there should be “No Image Available.”

Who’s Your Customer?

It can be confusing in business today to truly understand who your customer is:

Is it the person buying something from you?
Is it the person supplying you something to sell?
Is it the person who services what you are selling?
Is it your team mates who enable you to service your end customer?

In truth, your customer is all of these people but the key customer or the primary customer who you need to look after is the one you earn your money from.

The person who gives you money needs that little bit extra attention because if they are not happy and go elsewhere, all of your other customers suffer.

The agent managing our rental property has had a few issues of late. Their communication has been poor, they have not acted on instructions, their change over of property managers has had a significant impact and their overall service level has been far below what was promised.

When I raised this situation with the property manager and their direct manager, I received excuses, blame, extended descriptions of what had happened but no apology and no sign of what was to happen next to correct the situation.

As you can imagine, I am less than enamoured with this agent and I will most likely take my business elsewhere.

No doubt I have contributed to the mistakes and need to shoulder some of the responsibility. Having said that, it is important to note that while the customer is not always right, they are always your customer and should be treated as such.

So who is your customer and what can you do for them today?

It’s Not About You

I was at a funeral recently and it was sad. It was sad that my friends husband had died and even sadder that the priest shifted the attention off the man who had died and on to himself.

I have seen this happen on several occasions. The host, celebrant or religious leader turns the spotlight on themselves, their message or their beliefs rather than focussing on the needs of the audience.

A good GREAT host knows that it is not about them. It is ALL about the audience. Be it a conference, funeral, some other ceremony or even a simple networking event, how can you make it about the audience or the other person?

How can you shift the focus to be about them and their needs?

Get out of the road and make the event more memorable for others and you will make a bigger name for yourself than you would turning the spotlight on yourself in the first place.

Plain and simple, it’s not about you!

Keep the Fire Burning

It’s winter in Australia and down south we are having a few cold nights. That’s when it is great to huddle around a fire, feel the warmth and connect with those around you.

But the fire doesn’t keep alive by itself.

It needs a bit of a poke every now and again. Sometimes it needs more wood and if it gets too low sometimes you need to get some more kindling or fire starters just to beef it up again.

Life’s like that.

Sometimes you need to give yourself a bit of a poke to get going again. It can be easy to slow down and forget that you are not operating as well as you could.

Other times, you need more fuel, more inspiration, more engagement, more ideas, more conversation, more thought provoking ideas, different perspectives or a fresh start on something.

It’s all about keeping your inner fire going.

How do you keep your flame burning?

Leadership Position Vacant

For the first time ever, I was actively interested in the outcome of the Australian election.
At the time of writing, it seems that the answer to the Australian Electoral Commission’s question above is that NO-ONE is leading. (Click on the image for the latest results from the Australia Electoral Commission).

What has been lacking in our politics (and the politics of some other nations as well) is strong, decisive, obvious leadership.
It seems that the Australian voting public trust each of the two dominant parties as much as each other.

Watching many of the interviews and discussions during the vote counting, many politicians forgot. They forgot how to be real people. Peddling their empty rhetoric until the very end of the broadcast there were repeated attempts to get them to be human, some would say “relatable” in their approach but it was to no avail.

The day after the election, with no clear winner and already there are rumours of leadership battles and party infighting.
It will be days, if not weeks until we find out who is running the country. There is even talk of another election.

What we have voted for is no-one. The Australian public are so dissatisfied with our current representation that there is no obvious choice. We are collectively satisfied to stumble along until something better happens.

What about you? Do you lead?

Regardless of what you do, where you do it, do you lead?

Do make decisions and then act on them?
Are you open to ideas and if one of them is better than yours, admit it and take it on?
Do you engage and enthuse those around you? It could be colleagues, friends or even family members.
Do you take responsibility for your action and when you are wrong, admit it and make appropriate amends?
Do you speak respectfully of those around you, regardless of whether you agree with them or not?
When disagreeing, do you attack the idea and not the individual?

There is a drastic need for more leaders in this world. Leadership positions abound.

Will you lead?

I hope you say “Yes”

I’m Getting Grumpy

Oh dear. I am turning into one of those grumpy old men who talk about how it was in the “old days”. But I am not the only one who is grumpy.

I have posted a few things on social media recently about guns, particularly in the USA. While I know it is a sensitive issue, I figured that avoiding the issue was doing nothing so how about a civil conversation or debate.

Now I have some lovely friends in the USA who are passionate about their guns and while I have a different perspective, I also respect their right to have a different belief.

Then the trolls came.

Somewhere along the way, we have lost the ability to have a civil discussion that attacks an issue and not the person delivering it. It is great to get passionate but it is not nice, pleasant or appropriate to convert a discussion about an issue into a personal attack. So often I see a comment “You’re/They’re an idiot” or “only fools would believe …” This does nothing to progress the discussion and only drags it down.

Now this holds true whether you are discussing guns, office policies, strategic directions or the best way to pack a car. It holds true in private discussions, work discussions and even the political discussions we are seeing of late.

We seem to have lost the ability to tolerate an opinion that doesn’t match our own, listen with an open mind and then construct a logical argument to support our own beliefs all while being willing to change our opinion if we are proven wrong.

My commitment is to stop being grumpy and focus solely on the issue as well as ensuring my arguments focus on logic and facts rather than attacking an individual and getting carried away with emotion.

What about you? Will you join me in the Anti-Grump?

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