An Unexpected Turn of Fate

Many years ago my Mother and Father took in a stray cat. He was mostly black with some white spots.
They called him Blackie the Cat. He was a good companion for them and their household.

He had the sharpest claws I had ever seen on a cat. Blackie had a thing about tearing through the house and he would swat at anyone’s ankles and legs that were in range. And it didn't matter who it was.
I wasn't a fan of this cat.
One day Blackie took a swat at my Mothers leg and got her good. He cut her leg wide open with his claws. She was bleeding pretty badly. My father immediately wrapped her leg and stopped the bleeding. Within a week my Mom came down with a severe fever and an upset stomach that sent her to the Emergency Room.

The Doctors ran blood tests and determined she had sepsis. I was much younger and did not know what sepsis was. The attending Nurse that was assisting knew my brother and she told us this is pretty serious blood infection and it could be fatal. She said the infection has reached serious level in her blood stream. The Doctor administered an aggressive medication he called the “Antiseptic Bomb” to kill the infection. He told us to pray.

And we did! I also had thoughts and visions of what Blackie’s fate was going to be. Thankfully, the antiseptic bomb worked. This Doctor wasn't your average run of the mill Emergency Room Doctor which is cure the ailment and send them home.

I noticed a peculiar way the Doctor would act when he came in the room. He seemed a suspicious and puzzled about something. He was PAYING ATTENTION to an intuition he had.

He informed us he was going to run a full MRI on my Mom. He felt the infection level was much higher than a cat scratch should have caused. When the results came back it showed a cancerous tumor on my Mom’s kidney. She was operated on to remove the Kidney immediately. The cancer stayed encapsulated on that kidney and it never spread anywhere else. Within a week my Mom was home.

I accompanied my Mother on the follow up appointment with the Doctor. He told us in reality that the cat was the true hero. The cat scratch triggered the infection (sepsis) otherwise the cancer not diagnosed would have spread within a few short months. The Doctor revealed it was a very aggressive and deadly form of cancer. This occurred over 10 years ago. My Mom to this day still has a clean bill of health.

Blackie the cat saved my Mother’s life. Unfortunately, Blackie is in cat heaven right now and it was from natural causes. In my opinion, The Doctor was also a hero! If his intuition did not lead him to run the MRI in the emergency room (which in reality is a rare request these days) my Mom would not be here today.

The moral of this story is not to pre-judge events or circumstances in your life. Sometimes fate will intervene to make things right. My Family and I to this day are grateful that this Doctor PAID ATTENTION to his professional wit and gut instincts to make the absolute right choice for my mom. He went above and beyond.

We should all commit to this excellence in what we do daily. We should strive make it a code to always go above and beyond our call of duty to those we serve everyday. 


John P. Slosek,Jr. 
413-246-5037 
Inspiringwealth@aol.com 
Certified Speaker for John Maxwell 
Exclusive Agent for Allstate 
"Let's talk about Retirement Income" 

No One Cares About What You Want to Speak About - Here's How to Overcome This Challenge

Have you ever heard speakers say things like:

• "Today I'm going to share with you..." or 
• "I'd like to tell you about..." or 
• "Let me tell you a story" ?

Whenever you hear those statements from a speaker what is your initial reaction?

You may, or you may not be like me, but if you were like me your immediate thoughts would be something like:

• I don't really care what you're going to share with me, tell me why I should care first.
• I don't really care what you'd like to tell me about, how does it relate to me.
• Why should I let you tell me a story? And, anyway you've got the stage, I'm in a seat in the audience I have no power to let you do anything, I'm stuck here listening.

Have you ever felt the same way?

With those types of lead in statements the speaker comes across as making the information all about him or her. It sends the message that they are the expert and the genius and you are going to learning something magnificent just by listening to them speak.

It is an arrogant and condescending way to present.

Your audience members will either overtly be turned off by that type of language or they will unconsciously sense that you care more about yourself than them.

Powerful speakers know and practice using "you" statements that lead into the stories and points they want their audience to learn.

Just like I opened this blog article with the statement "have you ever" using that language to direct the audience's attention towards their own experience related to a point you are about to make.

Here are three slight adjustments to the "I' versions of the statements above that will make you an even more powerful presenter:

• Instead of saying, "today I am going to share with you," turn that around to make your point in a more powerful and engaging way with, "today you are going to hear about..."
• Instead of saying, "I'd like to tell you about," have your audience lean in to listen even more intently when you say, "you are going to learn about."
• Instead of saying, "Let me tell you a story," engage your audience's curiosity by saying, "if you've ever had this happen, then you know what I went through just getting here today."

Here's a 9-second video clip of what I'm talking about, notice the "you" focused statements I use here:

More on powerful "you" focused statements to connect with and build deeper audience relationships next month.

If you'd like to learn more easy to apply, World Class Speaking strategies to set you apart  join the  PresentationPower for Leaders Community for FREE to receive a weekly Presentation Power Tip that can transform your presentation skills.

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Skip Weisman is The Leadership & Workplace Communication Expert, and is a member of an elite group of international World Class Speaking Coaches.  

Skip works with the owners of companies with between 6-60 employees to transform workplace communication in 90-days and create a more positive, more productive and even more profitable company. 

Additionally, he coaches and trains business professionals and professional speakers to become a World Class Speaker and presenter that can inspire and motivate any type of audience.  You can learn more about Skip at www.WorkplaceCommunicationExpert.com and www.SkipWeismanSpeaks.com .

SpeakNaked. I'll do anything for Love, but I won't do that...

 

 I'll do anything for Love,

 but I won't do that.

What holds us back in life is what we won't do.

Value and Moral won'ts are a good thing 

Habitual and fear won'ts will keep us stuck.

        Click for I won't do that Video

Our "fear won'ts" come in many forms

I could never...

I just can't....

I just couldn't....

They won't let me...

No Way...

I will not...

NO !

Each of our "fear won'ts" are keeping us

safe, small and stuck

Find your Won'ts and grow beyond them

List 10 things that could be / need to be done for what you love.

       Choose the scariest thing and do it.

List 10 fear things that you won't do for what you love.

       Choose the least scary thing and do it.  

and while you are making these lists, and doing these things

Sing

I will do anything for Love

   and I will do that.....



Glenn Dulko is the Presentation Doctor

Glenn helps speakers deliver strong healthy presentation.

   For a checkup or an emergency call on your presentation

 get Glenn at 203-415-8964 or Glenn@SpeakNaked.com.

   Glenn will do anything for love... and he will do that

 SpeakNaked

You Have An Inspiring Speakers' Gene, Are You Developing It?

Imagine, you're at an airport on layover flying home after speaking in front of 1,500 people for the first time in your life wondering if you had an impact on anyone in the audience.

After 17 years as a business professional having given hundreds of presentations in front of audiences no larger than 100 at local civic groups, I had developed a belief that great speakers are born and not made.

And, I was certainly one of those missing the "inspiring speaker gene."

Then, killing time at the gate in Terminal C at the Detroit Airport I checked email.

Less than 12 hours after leaving the stage, there was a Google Alert with my name attached to a news item.

I clicked the link to see an article by a blogger who was in the audience.

Below is what I paraphrased from his article for a testimonial after we spoke about his experience with my presentation:

 

Maybe I did have that "inspiring speaker gene," after all?

Genes are like seeds, they need to be watered and cared for to blossom.

My "inspiring speaker” gene just needed to be nurtured.

But, it took inspiration from outside myself to help fulfill my aspirations as a professional speaker.

One day I was in an audience with 2,000 people watching and listening to the greatest speaker I had ever experienced.

He told us a story about how he was not a naturally born speaker and how he learned to become a dynamic presenter.

It inspired me to learn the craft of impactful, inspiring public presentations.

That was in 1998.

The speech Mark Curtis experienced was in 2009.

It took 11 years, but I got there.

Ever since, I've been inspired every time I step on the stage knowing I can impact people's lives.

Some let me know immediately, while others take what they've heard and apply it without sharing.

Either way I know I'm making a difference.

Do you? Would you like to?

Learn simple, easy to apply, World Class Speaking strategies to set you apart when you join the PresentationPower for Leaders Community and receive a weekly Presentation Power Tip that can transform your presentation skills.

---

Skip Weisman is The Leadership & Workplace Communication Expert, and is a member of an elite group of international World Class Speaking Coaches. Skip works with the owners of companies with between 6-60 employees to transform workplace communication in 90-days and create a more positive, more productive and even more profitable company. Additionally, he coaches and trains business professionals and professional speakers to become a World Class Speaker and presenter that can inspire and motivate any type of audience.  You can learn more about Skip at www.WorkplaceCommunicationExpert.com and www.SkipWeismanSpeaks.com .

Defining DONE!

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that one of the steps to driving tasks to “DONE” was to define what done is. So I wanted to grab a few moments  to take a deeper dive into what sounded like a simple activity.

When we're doing something, it is almost always for someone else, let's call them the client. When I'm doing something by myself, I ask the client is this what you mean by done? And then I ask

‘if I do it this way is that a good standard for you’?

I always ask this, even for simple tasks. If I'm having a conversation with somebody and I agree to do something very simple, I will still say at the end of the conversation:

"let me please just reflect back to you what I think my action items are for you - you want X done by this date, and if it's done like this then you will find that satisfactory. Is that correct?"

You'd be amazed at how much clarity comes out of something simple like that.

The other situation is when I'm doing something for the client, and I'm working with a team, here I do exactly the same thing. First, I confirm with the client what DONE is, and what an acceptable standard is. Second, I tell the team what we are doing, what done is, and what the acceptable standard is. Thirdly, I apportion the work that I want them to do, and  also tell them how it contributes to DONE. Finally, I asked them at the end of the conversation to reflect back to me what they are going to do for me, what DONE is, and what the acceptable standard is.

When I first started this practice, I was very nervous that it would make me appear unprofessional or a micromanager. In fact, I have had nothing but positive feedback from both customers and teammates. They enjoy the clarity. The clarity of knowing I know what they want, and what an acceptable level is; and also knowing when it needs to be done.

This is truly a WIN-WIN-WIN situation. Not only do you very rapidly get a reputation for being someone who delivers to a high standard of reliably, but you'll find that your teammates enjoy working with you because you exude a level of confident professionalism in your conversations.

So the next time you think about getting something done, make sure that you define DONE fully; you'll find it a lot easier to do (and by that I don't mean to start doing, but drive through to finished and DONE!).

Until next month, this is Tony Sherman the Implementation Rabbi and Impact Teams, hoping that in your work life there is nothing broken or missing.

Are we there yet?

Too often while we are trying to get things done we add them to a "to do” list. The problem with to-do lists for most of us is that they really represent a starting to do list, not a “get it done” list.

Here's how to transform your "to do" list into a "GET IT DONE" list.

Firstly, define two things, for you to do this you need to have a firm understanding of who the customer is, who are you doing the work for and how will they use it? Then define what DONE is. Not only what done is, but what an acceptable standard is. This may seem laborious at first, but having a clear understanding of who you're doing something for, what they think DONE is, and then what an acceptable standard is, puts so much more clarity on the task that it becomes far easier to complete fully first time.

Secondly the next thing is to put it on your to-do list. Once I put something on my to-do list, and I start doing it, I move it into processing. If I'm using paper to track my to-dos, I put a small circle next to the item which means that I'm working on it. At the end of the day, I either move it to the done column (electronic - TRELLO) or put a checkmark (paper tracking) next to it to signify that it is complete.

Lastly, whether I started the task but did not complete it, or did not start it at all  at the end of the day I only allow myself two choices:

• Finish the task, today!
• Transfer it onto tomorrow's task list, but break it down into at least three steps. This allows me to get the tasks done in their component parts. The power of this is it makes me drive towards DONE!

This is Tony Sherman, the Implementation Rabbi at Impact Teams, wishing you a productive month.

You Can Become a World Class Speaker

Early in my professional baseball career civic organizations like Rotary and Kiwanis would call our team looking for a speaker for their meetings.

As the top baseball executive on our staff they would ask for me.

For two decades I would fulfill the request, get up after the meal and ramble for 15-20 minutes about the upcoming, or recently completed, season.

After my unprepared comments I would open up to questions from the audience and comfortably respond to the same inquiries each time.

Then, I would sit down to polite applause disappointed, feeling as though I wasn't having an impact on my audiences. This reinforced my belief that great speakers are born, not made.

In 2001 I left my baseball career behind to launch a small business coaching company.

Out of necessity I had to learn the art of professional speaking to build interest in my services.

Since 2002 I’ve invested thousands of dollars with personal, 1:1 presentation skills coaching and dozens of trainings to transform my belief to know that great speakers are, and can be, made.

Since 2009 I’ve had the privilege of speaking on one hundred stages in front of more than 10,000 audience members. The largest audience was 1,500.

What I’ve learned is that there is a process to becoming a world-class speaker that inspires and impacts audiences.

If you have the desire to impact and influence audiences from in front of the room there is a systematic process you can easily learn.


To triple your presentation skills over the next year go to www.PresentationPowerForLeaders.com to sign up for 52 Presentation Power Tips. You’ll get one tip a week for the next year. I guarantee those tips will triple your presentation skills in the next 12 months!


Skip Weisman is The Leadership & Workplace Communication Expert, and is a member of an elite group of international World Class Speaking Coaches. Skip works with the owners of companies with between 6-60 employees to transform workplace communication in 90-days and create a more positive, more productive and even more profitable company. Additionally, he coaches and trains business professionals and professional speakers to become a World Class Speaker and presenter that can inspire and motivate any type of audience.  You can learn more about Skip at www.WorkplaceCommunicationExpert.com and www.SkipWeismanSpeaks.com .

Lead with Power, Learn with Purpose, Live with Passion: Meet Alain Hunkins

Hello Movers & Shakers! I’m Alain Hunkins.  

My mission is to create a vibrant, alive world by kindling the fire of brilliance in people.

Over the past twenty years, I've been immersed in learning and teaching personal and leadership development.   

A facilitator, consultant, speaker, author, trainer and coach, I've led over a thousand groups across the country and on five continents. I've worked with C-level Fortune 500 executives, front line workers at pet food factories, and everything in between.   

Last month in NYC

A voracious learner about all things leadership, I love to share my latest insights in my weekly blog (with 250+ posts in the archives.)  You can find that blog at: www.pioneerleadership.com

In addition to my own leadership consulting, I also serve as Senior Faculty for three terrific global training organizations. 

Are you interested in learning more about:

Innovation? Check out: www.futurethink.com

Personal Energy Management?  Go to: www.theenergyproject.com

Experiential Learning? Click on: www.eaglesflight.com

You can see me discussing the power of renewal below:

I look forward to sharing the 3rd of each month here with you. 

To continue the conversation, connect with me on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alainhunkins

Done.Right.Now!

I know what you want. My aim in the coming months is to give you what you want.

• You want to get it Done.
• You want to get it Done, Right.
• You want to get it Done, Right, Now!

My name is Tony Sherman, and I'm The Implementation Rabbi. I help professional services teams and small businesses to get more done with less. You've already met Rick who helps you make room for clarity. One of the keys to clarity is to drive out a solid definition of DONE. Not your personal definition of done but the customers’. The “DONE” that drives the highest value. The problem with done is, in most of our lives the old adage holds true “it takes 90% of the time to get 90% of the job done, and the other 90% of the time to get the rest of the 10% of the job done”.

Once you've got DONE defined and under control, we need to make sure that we’re doing it right for everybody. Everybody understands the same goal and is working at their highest and best selves. Over the next few months, I'll introduce some of the basic tenets of agile methodologies. These will help you and your teams to communicate quickly and clearly. These are simple and powerful communication techniques, and along with a no fail innovation approach that makes sure that when you hit challenges, as you always will in high-value work, you, your team, and your client can work to rapid breakthroughs.

The “NOW”, in “Done.Right.Now!” is a powerful set of team tools most of which are free. These tools help small businesses to accelerate the collaboration and to drive very quickly to delivering high-value. And then using this high-value to leverage themselves to become their client’s trusted partner.

My name is Tony Sherman, The Implementation Rabbi at ImpactTeams.com. I'm excited as we start this journey of delivering high-value to customers, quickly, with no rework, and with highly energized teams.

See you next month.