If Energy Is Contagious, What Are Your People Catching?

I'm often asked "What is your favorite subject to present/facilitate?"

What I've learned is is have much less to do with the content, and much more to do with the context.  

Who am I working with?  What is their expectation of our time together?

As they sit in their seats, are they:

Prisoners?

Critics?

Tourists?

Engaged?

Ready to learn?

I was leading a group of 370 bank mangers last week.  What tremendously positive attitudes these people had!

This was a group of people who take ownership of their situations, choices and results.

Their energy of positivity, of belief that they can and do make a difference every day, was contagious.

Like all energy, positivity feeds on itself, and grows with increased feeding. 

By the end of the first day, the room was buzzing with power.

By the end of the second day, people were really moved.

This was no accident.

The conference organizers planned every event and activity to build on what came before.

They made sure that there was variety, fun, and multiple sensory modalities  to learn from.  They had videos, music, interactive sessions, short briefings by executives.

They also left plenty of time for networking and socializing and breaks.  They knew that people don't get more by being trapped in a chair for 9 hours a day watching Powepoint presentations.

They knew their audience and they played to their sweet spot.

What can you do to make your next event--be it a meeting, a one on one conversation--more memorable and event-ful for your "audience".

What can you do to design the event so that the energy goes where you want it to go?

More than anything else, that's what people will walk away with and remember.

In what ways have you intentionally focused the energy of a crowd? Join the conversation by leaving a comment below.

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