Rapid Fire Learning | May 2007

April showers bring May flowers...but what do Mayflowers bring?

Pilgrims.

My kids hadn't heard that one. It was nice to feel like I was in third grade again.

Here are five things I learned this month:

1. I learned it's more difficult to manage the competition that occurs within a team then it is to manage the competition from without.
When a team, a group, a business, an organization begins to fight amongst itself, it's difficult to control or remedy. I experienced this first hand with the boys on my Little League team. Often, they feel their biggest competition is not the other team, but the other boys on their OWN team. When that feeling begins to emerge, boys start doing whatever they can to protect their territory, point the finger of blame at others, and criticize each other for the smallest things so they'll look better. It's a virus that I work hard to manage at every practice and every game.

I'm grateful for the advice I got from Patrick Lencioni's book, Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars. I've found that unless we keep our eye (as a team) on the collective, thematic goal...we'll start to turn our focus inward.

2. I learned (relearned) that a hot dog roasted over an open flame off the end of a hanger tastes better than one that is boiled or heated up in the microwave.
I guess it's the whole experience. Can't beat it.

3. There's a correlation between pain and priorities.
When I find myself in a painful situation, I'm forced to come face to face with what's most important. If I fail to prioritize my life properly, I end up in painful situations. It's not to say that you can avoid pain by prioritizing...but pain does have a way of revealing where I should best invest my life.

4. This was a month of #3's!
Spiderman 3 - good drama for a superhero flick.
Shrek 3 - very funny.
Pirates of the Caribbean 3 - excellent special effects, a bit violent, strained story line.

5. Heroes is a great TV series and is especially fun to watch if you can view all 23 episodes over a weekend.
I'm a bit bleary-eyed as I write this post because I stayed up into the wee hours of my 3 day weekend and watched the entire first season of Heroes. You can watch it all for FREE online. Not the most productive use of my time. But it's like watching a 21 hour movie. All I can say is...Save the Cheerleader. Save the World.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Are you growing and learning something new every month?

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: What did you learn this month?

: : : :

Tim Milburn
Student Leadership Trainer & Tool Maker
www.studentlinc.net

Success In The Triple A's: Attitude, Abilities, and Actions

In conversation with Phil Gerbyshak over at Make It Great about the power of a positive attitude.

We both agree...it's not enough.

Here's my latest comment:

In talking with the boys on the Little League team I manage, I constantly encourage a positive attitude. But like you say there's more to it. So I drew a triangle and told them there are three things that affect their success on this team:

1. Attitude - must be positive.
2. Abilities - must strive for excellence.
3. Actions (and InterActions) - must add value to others.

All three of these things are intrinsically tied together.

I call them my Triple A's (which goes nicely in a baseball setting).

Phil asked me to diagram it. So I did.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Why isn't a positive attitude enough?

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: How do you encourage growth in all three areas?

: : : :

Tim Milburn
Student Leadership Trainer & Tool Maker

Reflective, Grateful, Indebted, and Happy Memorial Day

I just signed off on a comment on another blog and wished the writer a "Happy Memorial Day."

Using the word "happy" just didn't feel right.

It's kind of like wishing someone a Happy Good Friday or Happy 9/11.

If today (Memorial Day) is to be a HAPPY day, the happiness must come at the tail end of REFLECTION, GRATITUDE, and a sense of INDEBTEDNESS.

Reflection on the millions of lives given in the cause of freedom that I enjoy.
Gratitude for their service and sacrifice.
Indebtedness because they provided something for which I can never repay.

So I offer you this, encourage you to stop for a moment during your picnic or time on the lake and reflect, offer your gratitude, realize the blood that was spilled for your freedom...

...and live your life to the fullest.

I wish you a meaningful Memorial Day - full of happiness.

I like that better.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: What are you engaged in today that makes this Memorial Day meaningful?

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: Whom do you memorialize today?

: : : :

Tim Milburn
Student Leadership Trainer & Tool Maker
www.studentlinc.net

Because You Don't Know Everything You Should Ask This Question

My wife and I were having a conversation with another couple. When we were finished and driving back home, my wife turned to me and asked, "Did you notice how they talked to each other?"

I hadn't been paying attention to that.

But she had.

Put two people in the same room and they'll observe an interaction, an event from different perspectives.

Which leads me to the question that I think needs asking in every situation...

What am I missing here?

The goal of leadership isn't to simply pass on your own perspective to everyone else. It is more about enlarging your own perspective by considering other perspectives, by learning from the perspectives of others so that you can lead with the best possible information.

What am I missing here?

Driving away from the conversation with the other couple, I wasn't even tracking with the way they were interacting with each other. But when my wife asked the question, it gave me a whole new perspective on the conversation.

What am I missing here?

When your group gets together and wants to make a decision, don't assume to have all the answers. Allow the perspectives of others to shed as much light as possible on a situation.

What am I missing here?

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Is there an area in your leadership where you might be missing something?

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: Who helps you know what you're missing?

: : : :

Tim Milburn
Student Leadership Trainer & Tool Maker
www.studentlinc.net

Ten Ways To Save Your Presentation AFTER You've Blown It

I was sitting in church, listening to the guest speaker they had brought in to persuade the people to give money toward a certain cause.

It's a tough task to ask people for money. I was intrigued more by the speaker's style, his approach to this monumental task of getting people to commit their dollars to a donation.

As he opened his presentation, he said something to the audience that I had heard many times before in various forms. He said...

I know that I've got three minutes to connect with you or else you'll tune me out and you won't listen to what I have to say.

If you've spent any time considering what it takes to communicate and connect with people, you realize that there is some truth to what he's saying.

You only get one chance to make a first impression.

People are making a decision within the first 30 seconds about whether they can trust you, whether they'll listen to you.

But his statement got me thinking.
What if I blow it in the first 30 seconds to 3 minutes?
What if my opening bombs and people start checking out.
Is it over?
Should I simply stop and refund everyone's money?

Not yet.

I believe (and have seen most every one of these things in action) that there are some techniques a person can use to bring the crowd back around. So if you find yourself putting a lot of energy into a presentation that is met with the blank, empty stares of a crowd who has all gone to their happy place...you might want to give one of these a try.

1. TELL A STORY
People are narrative by nature. We're all drawn into a well-told story. Even if the story has nothing to do with what you're talking about, it can get your crowd interested again.

2. MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH
When people begin to get bored or find your presentation irrelevant they begin to put up walls. When people laugh, walls come down. A person can be humorous without being a comedian. Sometimes, if you're willing to laugh at yourself in front of others, they'll begin to respect you as a real and genuine person. If they can relate to you, they'll begin to connect with you.

3. ENGAGE / INTERACT WITH ONE OR TWO PEOPLE IN THE CROWD
If you're losing the whole crowd, then focus in on one or two people. Find out their names. Ask them where they're from. People will be curious about the interaction and want to watch...and listen.

4. SHOCK THEM
There's a fine line with this idea. In fact, I think you can only use it once during a presentation. Shock people more than once and they'll start to get offended. When people disconnect, they do so because they don't feel like you have anything they want or need to hear. Perhaps a better word is surprise. Think about what you could do that is completely unexpected.

5. MOVE CLOSER
If you are on a stage, get off of it and move amongst the people. If you are at the front of a room, move to the side. I like to call this "conversation distance." Get as close as you would if you were carrying on a conversation with a few of the people closest to you.

6. END EARLY
I will often ask people how long I have to speak when I go somewhere to present. I always strive to end a bit before the amount of time they give me. If you are struggling in your presentation, it may be the best move to simply end things early rather than stretch it out to your allotted time. I've never heard anyone complain because a sermon was too short.

7. START OVER
If you have blown your beginning, your opening lines fell flat, and you don't seem to be connecting, then simply start over. Tell your audience that you'd like to try the whole thing again. In fact, leave and come out again. You may not want to repeat your opening word for word, but people will be more intrigued by the theatrics of you attempting to start the whole thing over again.

8. ACKNOWLEDGE IT
Nobody is perfect. At some point, you may want to simply acknowledge that you're not connecting. It won't be new information for the audience, but it may get them back in your corner because of your blatant humility.

9. SILENCE
This is one of my favorite ones. Sometimes, I may feel like the crowd isn't quite with me. So I'll just stop and smile. People often tune out because they become accustomed to the cadence of my voice. Stopping breaks the rhythm. Silence makes people curious.

10. LEARN FROM IT
If you can't connect with your audience and your presentation falls flat you need to know why. If you think it's a "them" problem, you won't learn anything from it. Ask for feedback. Videotape yourself. Get someone to be honest with you.

If you speak enough times, you will be able to do some self-critiquing. Part of every presentation I give involves reflection and honing. I will make notes about what worked and what didn't. There will always be places for improvement.

If I bomb a presentation, I want to learn as much as I can before the next one. Because if I can't connect, I can't communicate.

ONE MORE THING...
If you use one of these techniques to save a failing presentation, you typically won't get a second chance during that presentation if you lose the audience again. The best preparation is to have a great presentation and to be a great presenter. But it never hurts to have a few tricks up your sleeve.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Are there any other ways to save a failing presentation?

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: Write your idea in the comments.

: : : :

Tim Milburn
Student Leadership Trainer & Tool Maker
www.studentlinc.net

Great Tips On Studying So You WON'T Forget

I know it's summer. The books have been sold back to the bookstore for a gut-wrenching fraction of what you paid for them. The sun is out and thinking about studying is about number 3,496 on your list of things to do.

Don't worry, this post will be here when you get back into the swing of school.

Kim Roach, prolific writer at The Optimized Life offers six great study tips. These are great ideas and ones that will boost your study life in all the right directions. She posted her list at lifehack.org. I'll give you the headings, you follow the links to get more details.

Flashcards

Create the Right Environment

Use Acronyms to Remember Information

Listen to music.

Rewrite your notes.

Engage Your Emotions.

Make Associations.

It's not rocket science...but these ideas would help if that's what you were studying (all the rocket scientists in the room please raise your hand!).

Link: How To Study

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Do you have any study habits that produce better results?

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: Add yours to the comments below.

: : : :

Tim Milburn
Student Leadership Trainer & Tool Maker
www.studentlinc.net

The L.E.A.R.N. Strategy

Leaders are learners.

If you are a leader and you are not learning, your time is running out.

I was just introduced to another great leadership writer by the name of Herman Najoli, who writes at Ideal Strategies. I was referred to him by his contribution on Joyful, Jubilant Learning.

Herman offers a great five step acronym that guides a person in the process of learning. This is what he writes:

There are moments when we are fully aware of our deficiencies or lack of training in certain skill areas. Our awareness of such incompetence should never freeze us from action, it should instead motivate us to acquire the training that we need. In order to motivate us towards this, I have developed a five-step strategy that can deliver results in such situations. Here is my LEARN strategy for conscious incompetence:

Let your incompetence motivate you towards learning

Empower yourself by reading about the skill area

Associate with people who have competence in that skill area

Redefine your understanding of your capacity in that skill

Nurture a passion for teaching others that particular skill

Be a peak performer. Never allow incompetence to stop you from accomplishing your objectives. Lack of training should not necessarily equate to lack of ability. You can learn what you need to in order to move ahead into action.

If you are interested in more insightful and inspiring articles on leadership, I recommend you head on over to Ideal Strategies and spend some time there.

Advice For The Just-Graduated From College

Over at Lifehacker, Gina puts the question out to the readers...

What is the thing you wish you'd been told when you just left school?

Lots of interesting answers in the comments.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: What is the thing you wish you'd been told?

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: Write it in the comments below.

: : : :

Tim Milburn
Student Leadership Trainer & Tool Maker
www.studentlinc.net

Scott Ginsberg's Latest Book Is A Student Leader Must Read

Scott Ginsberg, that guy with the nametag, has published his fourth book.

It's called Make A Name For Yourself.

Scott offers you three ways to get his book:

1. Buy the book on Amazon.com.
2. Buy the book on my website.
3. Download the ENTIRE BOOK for free, right now.

That's right...he's GIVING it away.

Of course, Scott would like you to use options #1 or #2, but he wants you to have his stuff so he's giving you option #3.

What I like about Scott is that he's so confident in the amazing power and motivation in his material that he's willing to give it away. And in giving it away, he's convinced that you'll WANT to buy the book even after reading the downloadable copy.

You know what...he's right.

I read the whole thing. Then I went to Amazon and bought a copy. In fact, I am tempted to buy everyone in my office a copy.

It's that good.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: If you can get the book for FREE, what's keeping you from reading it.

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: What are you going to give away for FREE today to add value to someone else?

: : : :

Tim Milburn
Student Leadership Trainer & Tool Maker
www.studentlinc.net

33 Random Thoughts About Meetings

I have a confession to make...I don't like meetings meaningless-gatherings-where-nothing-is- accomplished-but-someone-had-an-hour-to-kill.

I realize I'm not alone.

This list is probably the making of a "meeting manifesto" but for now...it's just a list. Let the thoughts begin.

1. Do we really have to have a meeting? That's my first thought when someone calls a meeting. It's a good question. I think life is too short to have to sit through meaningless meetings. Sometimes I even think this thought out loud.

2. Don't make the meeting longer than it has to be. Most meetings don't have to be long. If you can get it done in 10 minutes, don't take 20. Even if you've blocked out an hour on your schedule for this meeting...you don't have to use it all. I give you permission to not go the whole hour.

3. Try meeting standing up. Makes for shorter meetings.

4. Only include people necessary for the meeting. If I'm not necessary, I won't be mad at you for not inviting me.

5. Let people know beforehand what the meeting is about. Send me agenda, let me know the purpose of the meeting. I want to be prepared...not surprised.

6. Speaking of sending me an agenda...you should probably have one. Let's deal with the important items first in case we start to go over the allotted 10 minutes or you get tired of standing up!

7. Don't finish a meeting without summarizing the meeting. Make sure we know what we all know what we're supposed to do when we leave.

8. Hopefully people will have something to do after a meeting. So write down all of the next steps, deadlines, and responsibilities. We don't want to have to do the same thing all over again.

9. People will respect you more if you know how to run an effective meeting.

10. Preparation for a meeting is exhibited during a meeting. I can tell. You can tell. So be prepared.

11. Having nothing completed from your last meeting kills momentum for your current one.

12. Keep brainstorming to a minimum (set a time limit). Ask people to brainstorm an idea prior to a meeting with others.

13. Take good notes and minutes at a meeting and then send them to everyone who needs them.

14. Follow up.

15. Make note of tangents and request those involved to meet separately after the meeting.

16. Let your creative, non-linear thinkers come for the parts of the meeting where they'll be most valuable and then let them leave. They'll really appreciate this.

17. Start on time. End early.

18. Have someone come in and observe your meetings. Get feedback on interactions between group members. This is especially helpful if you meet on a regular basis (like weekly staff meetings).

19. Change the location of regular meetings every once in awhile.

20. Welcome conflict in your meeting.

21. Speaking of conflict, it's probably the most exciting thing that happens at a meeting. It adds some drama and people start to actually engage with passion and interest. Conflict is the ingredient that most meetings are missing (thank Patrick Lencioni for that one).

22. Have a meeting before the meeting. Talk to a key person who will be influential in the decision making processes to see where he or she sits on an issue. Help people be prepared for potential points of conflict.

23. Learn how to break the ice and get everyone on the same page at the start of a meeting.

24. You will typically carry your current emotional state into a meeting. This will affect how you run the meeting.

25. People's body language during a meeting often communicates more than their words.

26. Evaluate our meetings on a regular basis. For example, during my last evaluation, I realized we needed to have less meetings. I call that a successful evaluation.

27. Exit strategy 101 -- If you're meeting one-on-one with someone else, meet in their office. It's easier for you to get up and leave then to ask them to get up and leave.

28. Ask yourself: Is this meeting costing more than it's adding value?

29. Think about the setup of the room. Can everyone see each other, talk to each other? What about a/v equipment...can everyone see it? Does it work?

30. Who else do you need there to effectively run your meeting? Maybe you should think about selecting someone to be the facilitator?

31. What are the rules of order? You may not choose to use Robert's but you need to use someone's. Make it known to the group what kind formal or informal process the group will use.

32. Use a timer! (Thanks Google)

33. Speaking of Google...google the term "effective meetings" for more advice then you will ever need.

Want a tool to help you organize your meetings?

Download the Meeting | Planner | Organizer | Worksheet from studentlinc (FREE PDF!!)

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Why do meetings get a bad reputation?

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: What are some of your thoughts about meetings?

: : : :

Tim Milburn
Student Leadership Trainer & Tool Maker
www.studentlinc.net