Change is happening at an ever-faster pace.
It’s been accelerating for a long time, so this shouldn’t really come as a surprise.
But surprising or not, there are many implications – including for your communications skills as you seek to connect with people racing to keep up with it all.
When I was on my high school debating team in Sydney in the 1970s, our side frequently quoted a guru of the age – Alvin Toffler – who wrote about how accelerating change had the potential to leave people bewildered… a syndrome labelled “Future Shock”.
His book of the same name was a best-seller.
The Future Shock phenomenon was described as “a collision with tomorrow”.
Alas, the far-sighted Alvin Toffler was one of the many big names who passed on during 2016.
But the pace of change of which Toffler foretold continues ever-faster….with the past year seeing developments in genetically-engineered immune cells, driverless cars, re-usable space rockets and robots that can teach each other.
THE CHALLENGE FOR COMMUNICATORS
AMIDST SPEEDING CHANGE
Accelerating change has been particularly visible amidst the 2016 political scene.
The past year politics has been likened to ten years being squeezed into one.
An example of this is the British relationship with the European Union.
For the first part of the year there was an expectation that Britain would – grudgingly – remain a member of the EU.
But then, shocking many, predictions were defied and a narrow majority voted to take Britain out.
Much change and swirling uncertainty has followed in politics, business and economics.
British politicians, who switched prime ministers amidst the turmoil, are still struggling to work out exactly what to do next – and whether the “Brexit” from the European Union will be hard or soft… or somewhere in between.
It’s no wonder that many in business – inside and outside the UK – are battling to cope with “Brexit” uncertainty and change.
And it’s coincided with that broadly similar anti-establishment uprising across the Atlantic – with the mercurial and unpredictable President-Elect Donald Trump… currently carrying out his pre-presidential foreign policy on Twitter.
I’m sure Barrack Obama, Ronald Reagan, Franklin Roosevelt and George Washington didn’t pick fights with rival superpowers on Twitter.
If they’d introduced the idea on West Wing no one would have believed it.
We’re still grappling with what Trumpism means for the future of trade and business around the world.
Such change and uncertainty has made communicating effectively all the more challenging and all the more important.
Let me help…
PAINTING PICTURES IN THE MINDS
OF YOUR AUDIENCE
As change happens faster – and as those we’re seeking to connect with grapple with it – getting our point across to moving targets in a shifting environment is more challenging than ever.
This applies whether it’s spelling out the vision of your company – or when highlighting the benefit of your products and services to prospects… often – during these globalised days – in new markets in far-flung countries.
Thriving in an environment of accelerating change very much depends on having communications skills that are captivating, effective and what I like to call “outcome-focused”.
By “outcome-focused” I mean communicating in a way that maximises your chances of meeting your objectives and those of your audiences.
A vital part of it is to be able to clearly transmit the best thoughts and ideas you have in your head.
It’s about painting pictures in the minds of others.
The good thing is that it’s a learnable and improvable skill.
CONVEYING AN IMAGE – WITH THE HELP OF A FRIENDLY GIRAFFE
I focus on painting pictures in minds when I’m helping audiences in conference keynotes become more inspirational communicators on behalf of their companies.
http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/speaking-at-your-event/
And I help clients with it when working in groups or one-to-one to enhance their communication skills.
I’ve made you a new year video where I demonstrate the concept of painting a picture in the minds of your audience.
I seek to achieve this by describing a great character from Africa… Jock The Giraffe.
The video has been recorded in London – a long way from Jock’s home on his giraffe sanctuary in Kenya.
Please note there are no pictures of giraffes or other wild animals in the video … apart from one ever-so-slightly wild bearded creature from Australia who does the talking.
You have to rely on picking up the right images being offered to your brain.
Have a look and ask yourself, at the end of this video, if you can see, hear and perhaps even have feelings about Jock The Giraffe?
There’s more about Jock – and putting pictures in the minds of your audience – in “Great Answers To Tough Questions At Work”, published by Capstone, which you can get in kindle or paperback at:
http://amzn.eu/2RnkGVj
And there’s more about what Jock gets up to when the tourists aren’t looking at the end of this eZine.
YOUR CHANCE TO GIVE GREAT ANSWERS IN 2017
Transmitting images to your audience is something we focus on in sessions within companies on “Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz”, “Your Message In 60 Seconds” and “Boosting Your Media Interview Skills”.
And we’ll work on it with participants in the open master classes on
18 January in London.
“Great Answers To Tough Questions At Work: The Practical” – focusing on your conversations with clients, prospects, officials and your team – runs 10am to 1pm.
“Great Answers To Tough Media Questions” – preparing for your future interviews with journalists – runs 2pm to 5pm.
Each participant gets signed copy of “Great Answers To Tough Questions At Work” – shortlisted for the Management Book Of The Year Award 2017.
https://yearbook.managers.org.uk/book/great-answers-to-tough-questions-at-work/
The standard investment for a place on either master class is £167 including VAT.
You can book on both sessions for a reduced rate of £289 including VAT.
There are advantages for companies if you work on your great answers together with colleagues. So if you book both sessions for two or more in your team, you can each do both sessions for £237 per person including VAT.
Email michael@michaeldoddcommunications.com or call (44) 07944 952835 to book your places or find out more.
TOUGH QUESTIONS AND GREAT ANSWERS FOR SANTA CLAUS: THE RESULT!!!
Amidst fever-pitch anticipation, here’s the result of the festive competition involving Great Answers To Tough Questions For Santa… and for those who have to sometimes speak on the great man’s behalf.
There were two outstanding entries. The judging body decided they both deserve to share first prize.
One copy of “Great Answers To Tough Questions At Work”, signed by the author, goes to Simon Mann, round-the-world-cricket-commentator on BBC Test Match Special.
Simon’s Question For Santa:
“Santa, Do you really drink the brandy left for you next to the fireplace by my dad? If not, it’s an awful waste of alcohol and money in these cash-strapped times – not to mention very ungrateful. If ‘yes’, why haven’t you died of alcoholism?
Simon’s Answer For Santa:
“I’m very grateful for all the drinks left for me by the world’s mums and dads, but I’m sure you’ll appreciate that my main task is to deliver every child’s presents as quickly and efficiently as possible. I take the very occasional sip and then one of my elves creeps into the kitchen to pour the drink left for me back into the bottle. That way there is no waste. I can stay focused – and alive – while also having a tiny bit of festive cheer. Ho ho ho.
And another signed copy of “Great Answers To Tough Questions At Work” goes to Jonathan Brind, the video artiste.
Jonathan’s Question For Santa:
“Following on from the recent fear of clowns, there’s now a fear of Santa Claus called ‘Claus-trophobia’ experienced by some. Given that you break into people’s homes around the world while they’re asleep, why shouldn’t I be Claus-trophobic?”
Jonathan’s Answer For Santa:
“There’s no need for such a syndrome. I come each year only to bring good things. The worst thing that can happen, if you have not been nice enough, is that I won’t leave you anything. But as you will find, virtually everyone gets something. So there’s every reason to be confident about me and the good work that I do, including being the world’s biggest job-provider to elves, carer of flying reindeer and bringer of goodwill and joy to all, especially children.”
Congratulations to Jonathan and Simon.
BELIEVING IN JOCK THE GIRAFFE
And a final word on Jock the Giraffe – who’s existence can be as controversial as Santa’s.
Of course everyone should believe in Jock… but there was one moment when not everyone did.
I was speaking with a large audience of United Nations officials in Geneva and I sought to paint a picture in their minds of Jock.
Someone up the back interjected: “You’re making this up about Jock. You can’t hand-feed a giraffe!”
I paused for a moment as you might expect a so-called expert on answering tough questions to do in the circumstances…even though it wasn’t technically a question.
But before I uttered a word a well-travelled member of the audience stepped in and insisted: “YES YOU CAN. I’ve fed Jock The Giraffe Too”.
Game over, without a word from me!!!
Learning from this experience, what I’ve done since then is to make sure I have ready access to a picture of me feeding Jock The Giraffe that I can show any future dis-believers.
Here it is!
And here’s what Jock and a friend get up to on the giraffe sanctuary when there’s no one around to hand feed them.
Jock and his partner in crime know where to stick their necks and how to make a point when they feel their needs are not being met.
I wish you similar outcome-focused communications success in 2017.
And I look forward to finding out what images you want to place in the minds of your audiences throughout the year.
Do let me know!
Keep smiling,
Michael