12 ways to boost engagement

People engaging in your message isn’t their responsibility... it’s yours!

Here are a dozen things to do even better.

1.In the eyes...
Establish and maintain eye contact with people. Break that eye contact so you’re not getting accused of stalking, but avoid the ‘fluttery-closed-eyelids’ thing while talking or the ‘looking-over-there’ while talking. Look at people when they’re speaking to you. Simple but not often done well.

2.Ask Questions
There’s too much telling (pushing people away) and not enough asking (engaging people) going on in meetings, conversations, consultations. 

3.Facilitate a team conversation
Rather than being part of the problem of clutter in a team meeting or conversation, step up and facilitate it. Confirm what the group’s trying to do, summarise what’s going on and where you’re all at, and then suggest some next steps.

4.Capture the conversation
Either on your note pad, ipad or flip chart pad, start catching some key points that people are sprouting in that meeting you’re in. Too many ‘and the essence is’ or ‘what I’m really saying is’ are lost and go way off up into the ether because they’re not captured anywhere. Write a few down and you’ll soon see where you agree, disagree and need to close the gap on thinking.

5.Ditch PowerPoint
Yep. Turn it off. Challenge yourself to truly engage with your audience, stakeholders or colleagues by using #6 below. I mean it. You’ll probably want to run back and hide behind your multi-page pack, but engage with people using dynamic, real time visuals. Keep PowerPoint packs for the hefty spreadsheets and detail, not the dot points.

6.Catch-it on a Flip Chart
Visual thinking works. Get yourself a good black chisel tipped marker (bullet tips are for babies) and step up to the flip chart or whiteboard and depict your key points. You won’t look like a fool; you’ll actually look more like you know what you’re saying. You’re displaying the clarity in your thinking by being able to summarise it up there.

7.Use visuals to explain
When you’re doing that flip charting and whiteboarding, use a few words and a few visuals. As Dan Roam says in his new book ‘Blah Blah Blah’, you need
visuals + verbals to get clarity. So a stick figure with the word ‘customers’ next to it is ace. A square with the words ‘regional office’ written in it is even better. Stay simple to boost engagement. Don’t be too smart; it’s not about the art.

8.Listen to yourself
Most mobile phones, portable devices and handhelds have a voice memo or recording option. Hit record during your next meeting or conversation for the purposes of listening to yourself, not others. Listen to what you sound like, what you said, how you said it, when you interrupted and the tone of your voice. Unless you shriek ‘Is that what I sound like?’, you’re not listening critically enough. How could you do this better?

9.Listen to others
You don’t need to record others in meetings (creepy, unethical perhaps!) but do listen to them. Won’t you? If you want to be truly engaging you’ll summarise back what they said. “So you’re saying is that right?”. Get rid of those disengaging phrases like ‘I hear what you’re saying …’ or ‘I’ll take that on board’. Yawn. ‘Go away’ is what you’re really saying.

10.Say ‘yes and…’
Take a tip from the best improvisers around the world and build on people’s
suggestions, ideas and contributions (by saying ‘yes and…’), rather than blocking them (when you say ‘yes, but…’). Listen out for the ‘clunk’ next time you ‘yes but’ someone in the head. ‘Yes and’ will grow the enthusiasm, energy and creativity.

11.Relaaaaaax your neck, shoulders and your jaw
There’s a fair bit of hunch-backing going on in the workplace. The tension, uncertainty and pressure is often reflected in furrowed brows and shrill voices. Relax your neck, shoulders and jaw. Drop your shoulders from way up near your ears (where they might be right now); have a breath and open your jaw and bite (while keeping your mouth closed). Check in on that one throughout the day. Those shoulders have a way of climbing back up to your ears again!

12.Put ‘em into practice
Print this, bookmark it, email it, copy it. You’ve read it now, during the lead up to the silly season. Have another read in the new year, in 2012 and note which ones you’ll do each day, each hour, each minute. You’ll be oh-so engaging!

Stop studying (for a moment) and start shipping

Yes, learning is great. Everyday, learn something new. Study new topics. Attend courses. Develop the mind.

But if you’re in your own business – or wanting your own business - will you just press the pause button on all of those courses for a moment, please?

Many a small business owner/operator doesn’t have the time or budget to get out the front door to anything – even if it is a free networking event held by the local Council! Others are financially committed and working ridiculous hours that the thought of showing up at a course – the possibility of having the time or money for a course – is foreign to them.

So if you’re yet to embark on the business, I have a message for the creative soul that you are, the person with the whole host of business ideas and the future visions that one day you hope will come to fruition.

They will and they can. And I’m not just playing motivator here.

They will happen but we need to press ‘pause’ on all of that development you may be doing, or have done.

In the past couple of weeks I’ve been coaching and mentoring some clients – wanting to get their business idea fired up – and I’m overwhelmed at their capabilities, their range of skills and their qualifications.

Yes, they can do it. Whatever their business idea is or their passion or interest, it is quite often reflected in their choice of courses and development. I’m convinced they are capable. But I’m wondering how many of these additional certificates, short courses, masters qualifications and other formal and informal studies are really necessary right now for getting their idea up and out there.

It’s a great distracter.

Why aren’t they putting their creative idea into practice? You know, registering a business name, registering a domain name, getting some business cards printed, getting their LinkedIn profile up to date and then getting in touch with the people they already know to meet with them and tell them about their business solution.

Instead of taking this vital ‘action’ and ‘shipping’ products (or services) as marketing guru Seth Godin puts it, they’re thinking they need even MORE qualifications, knowledge and know-how.

For some businesses, yes, you will need a qualification or an accreditation or a special selection of letters after your name to hang out your shingle.

But I’ve been pleased to recently meet these successful small business operators: the banker who is a graphic recorder, the physiotherapist who is a facilitator, the actor who is a trainer, the art lecturer who is a kitchen designer, the architect who is selling health products and many others who are just getting on with it. They’re putting their offer out there. They’re taking a risk. They’re risking failure. They’re risking success. And many of them are getting it. Success that is.

Stop studying for a moment will you? Please. In place of all of that study and learning, take some action, implement some of your ideas and ‘ship’ your stuff out the door. Your doubt will only grow, your fear will only multiply and your success will be that much further off if you keep thinking you need another batch of technical knowledge before you … ship it.

Trying to engage with your team? Try a few questions, not statements...

What  would  you  think  if  I  said  there’s  too  much  ‘telling’  going  on  and  not  enough  ‘asking’?    Percentage-­‐ wise,  how  many  questions  have  you  asked  today  vs  statements  you’ve  made?  Have  you  been  more  on   the  telling  people  things  side  of  the  spectrum  than  asking  questions?

As  a  facilitator,  I’m  a  little  biased  towards  questions.  Finding  out  what’s  going  on,  what  people  are   thinking,  where  they  want  to  get  to  with  their  work  or  project  and  then  helping  a  group  set  out  a  plan  to   achieve  that.       But  as  a  manager  and  leader,  how  often  do  you  think  about  the  questions  you’re  going  to  ask?  In  an   interview  you  do,  sure.  But  what  about  your  team  meeting?  Or  a  project  check-­‐point  with  peers?  Or  a   ‘work  in  progress’  meeting  with  your  leader?

In  the  work  I  do  with  groups  and  teams  –  across  corporate,  community  and  not-­‐for-­‐profit  organisations   –  I  see  and  hear  so  many  more  statements  than  questions.  And  there  are  many  opportunities  to  get  a   better  outcome  by  asking  a  question  first.

Today,  thousands  of  mangers,  team  leaders  and  business  people  have  been  trying  to  get  people  to   understand  them  by  telling-­‐telling-­‐telling.  And  then  when  they’re  not  heard,  they  try  telling  it  all  over   again,  but  LOUDER.  You  can  probably  hear  some  of  them  from  your  desk!

Yes,  there  are  open  questions  to  gather  information  and  open  up  the  conversation  (who,  what,  when,   where,  how,  why,  tell  me  about...)  and  there  are  closed  or  confirming  questions  (is,  are,  did,  would,   could,  can).       Did  you  know  that  when  you  don’t  think  about  the  questions  you  ask,  you’re  more  likely  to  ask  a  closed   question?  (That’s  a  closed  question;  answer  yes  or  no).  What  might  you  and  your  team  achieve  if  you   planned  for  and  then  asked  a  mix  of  open  and  closed  questions?  (Yep,  that’s  an  open  question).

Questions  aren’t  a  sign  of  not  knowing.  They  won’t  show  you  up  as  the  dumbo  of  the  team.  They’ll   actually  help  you  get  to  where  you  need  to  quicker  and  with  far  less  pain  than  telling,  telling,  telling,   arguing,  debating,  telling  some  more,  deep  breathing  and  then  fuming.

Here’s  why:  a  few  questions  at  the  start  of  a  meeting  with  a  peer  (What  are  you  hoping  to  get  out  of  our   catch  up?  What  are  the  challenges  that  are  most  pressing  for  you  at  the  moment?  How  is  your  team   responding  to  the  restructure?)  will  reveal  so  much  more  and  prepare  a  fertile  ground  for  you  to  plant   effective  statements  when  you  need  them.

Last  week  I  had  a  meeting  with  a  colleague  who  had  just  completed  a  poor  performance  conversation   with  one  of  their  team  members.  My  colleague  had  been  all  about  telling  the  team  member  what  wasn’t   working  and  then  telling  them  what  they  had  to  improve  on.  Yes,  oh  so  engaging  for  the  team  member.   Buy-­‐in  level  =  15%.  Enthusiasm  level  =15%.  Opportunity  for  trying  something  different  next  time  =  100%.

The  conversation  (that  means  two-­‐way  folks!)  could  have  involved  some  questions  up  front  and  then   based  on  the  answers  and  responses,  the  conversation  could  achieve  much  more  –  for  both  parties.       ‘How  have  you  been  finding  the  changes  in  your  role  over  the  past  few  months?’   ‘What  have  you  enjoyed  about  the  role?’   ‘What’s  challenging  or  frustrating  for  you?’   ‘What  areas  of  your  performance  do  you  think  we  could  discuss  and  work  on  today?’     These  can  help  set  an  agenda  for  the  meeting  and  focus  on  engaging  the  team  member  to  buy-­‐in  to  the   fact  that  this  is  about  them.  It’s  not  about  the  manager  telling  them  what  to  do.

Some  organisations  call  these  coaching  conversations  and  will  give  you  a  little  laminated  card  with  cheat   questions  on  it  so  you  know  what  to  ask.  That’s  great  –  at  least  you  can  do  some  thinking  before  the   meeting,  interaction  or  conversation  about  the  questions  you’ll  ask.

I’m  sure  there’s  plenty  a  notebook  or  Ipad  in  your  organisation  today  with  a  list  of  key  points  to  be  ‘told’   at  the  next  meeting.       So  for  the  next  meeting  you’re  at,  prepare  a  list  of  questions  you’ll  ask  people.  You’ll  be  more  engaging,   they’ll  be  more  involved,  the  interaction  will  truly  be  an  interaction,  and  you’ll  be  getting  focused  about   the  information  you  need,  before  you  launch  into  a  statement  or  two.

How  does  that  sound?  Do  you  think  that’s  something  you’ll  be  able  to  put  into  practice  for  your  meeting   later  today?  What  things  might  get  in  the  way  of  that  happening?  Would  you  let  me  know  how  that   goes?

Keeping Calm - Visual Thoughts...

I thought I'd share this little illustration I drafted up recently to provide to a client for a customer service 'reminder' for the team. As well as some other key actions for the team to remember, like answering incoming calls swiftly, supporting the team and thinking of the customer in each interaction ... this one struck them. They said it was a great reminder to just .... breathe. Keeping calm sometimes gets pushed out of the way as we rush to fulfil a request or complaint or just respond to an email. Many things happen so quickly that we're barely conscious of doing them. So for today, and many days and moments beyond today, keep calm...

Training is not a presentation

Several times in recent weeks I've been working and consulting with teams and organizations who see 'training' as delivering a PowerPoint slide show. And handing out copies of the slide deck as 'the workbook'

Such a presentation can be information transfer, it can be knowledge sharing. But rolling through 65 slides in two hours doesn't transfer skill or build capability.

This approach - of an expert, in full-flight 'tell' mode - is a presentation. It's ok to call it that. You can call it a briefing or a lecture too. But don't mislead managers, people leaders, or employees by calling it training, or worse, a workshop and lifting their expectations that they might get to participate or contribute - and then not allow that to happen.

Whether your organization's learning and development team are involved or not, be clear about what is building capability in your business and what's sharing information, what is changing attitudes vs what is shifting behaviors.

Then design your learning and training experience from there. There will likely be segments where you'll have to tell participants some content, but there are endless ways to engage with people and 'ask' them what they know and share that knowledge. Then reinforce that with a concrete application of the message or chunk of content. And it doesn't need to involve any PowerPoint slides!

A structured process for adult learning can create engaging, creative and changing experiences. So have a look through the latest training session you're working on. Is it all tell and no ask? Is it you the expert rather than you the facilitator of learning? Is it full of PowerPoint slides?

Then pull the plug and start again!

Your "participants" will love you for it.