Give good face - show a sign

Our world of online meetings serves up screen after screen of faces.

You might even wonder if someone’s screen is frozen.

Have they even moved?

But we’re focusing and listening intently, making sense of the information, thinking, analyzing, processing.

And our faces show it.
Thinking. Working. Connecting dots. Imagining.

As comedians, speakers and theatrical performers know, audience members who ‘give good face’ are such a blessing.

A smile, facial expressions, teeth showing, eyes alive, rosy cheeks ... all give feedback that says, ‘I get it; yes, good; keep going.’

So if you’ve trained, presented or spoken in an online session recently, you’d know that we don’t give good face. At all.

Let’s do better.

Be a great participant, a caring colleague, a good human ... and give good face.

Smile. Nod. Clap. Wave. Big head nod. Smile.

If you can’t give good face?

SHOW SOME SIGNS.

Easy!

Words.
Written on paper.
Wave them about when relevant.

My favorites are:
Applause
So good
You rock
Awesome!

It’s feedback that the humans - who are working SO hard to train, speak, present and deliver for you - will find invaluable, encouraging and inspire them with... ‘yes, good, keep going.’

Do you do the things successful people do?

Of the many lists and hints on how to be successful, the 12 things successful people do before breakfast by Jenna Gourdreau in Entrepreneur magazine was … quite tasty!

 
My visual this week is a pictorial reminder, based on the article (which was based on the book of similar name by Laura Vanderkam.)
 
Here they are… 12 things to do before breakfast:



Who could remember the written list after reading it?

The picture I sketched and doodled helps me recall the tips with greater ease… certainly in the early hours of the morning!
 
As always, visuals do a lot of the heavy lifting for you when there's detail or complexity at play.

Pictures help people hear each other… when they're not listening. 

Visuals help people digest smaller pieces of information and make for a more engaging piece of communication than a spreadsheet, data pack or dump of information.
 
How can you help the people you're working with at the moment to digest some of your important information more easily?
 
 

Do you do the things successful people do?

Of the many lists and hints on how to be successful, the 12 things successful people do before breakfast by Jenna Gourdreau in Entrepreneur magazine was … quite tasty!

 
My visual this week is a pictorial reminder, based on the article (which was based on the book of similar name by Laura Vanderkam.)
 
Here they are… 12 things to do before breakfast:



Who could remember the written list after reading it?

The picture I sketched and doodled helps me recall the tips with greater ease… certainly in the early hours of the morning!
 
As always, visuals do a lot of the heavy lifting for you when there's detail or complexity at play.

Pictures help people hear each other… when they're not listening. 

Visuals help people digest smaller pieces of information and make for a more engaging piece of communication than a spreadsheet, data pack or dump of information.
 
How can you help the people you're working with at the moment to digest some of your important information more easily?
 
 

Are you putting a dent in the universe?

Sometimes things bump you off course, at other times you can be soooo very deep in the detail of things that you forget what you're doing and why. 

I will often review the article by Carmine Gallo, The 7 Success Principles of Steve Jobs from Forbes magazine. The article is bookmarked on my browser for a regular read. Carmine Gallo wrote a whole book about the innovation secrets of Steve Jobs and Apple. 

But if I don't have time to read either the book or the article or I need a quick reminder, I use the visual notes that I took on my IPad when I first read them. 

They're a powerful anchor to the more detailed content and I share them here this week: 


In so many presentations and interviews today, people quote Steve Jobs and Apple for their innovation, focus, success, determination and how they really did 'put a dent in the universe'.

So don't get too distracted too often by unexpected responses, detailed discussions or unnecessary actions... keep your eye on the success you're after and take a tip from Steve Jobs (via Carmine Gallo) so you truly do make a dent in that universe.

Would Warnie play on your team?

When the team you're in reaches a target, hits the mark or achieves success, do you do this....

... run in to a huddle, cheer, applaud, lifting each other into the air, hug each other and give hugely rewarding pats on the back and high praise?

Do you do this several times in a day? 

Do you then watch a replay to see how awesome that success was?

I’ve been watching the summer cricket matches with different eyes ... the eyes of a team or project leader; a leader who needs to get their teams to do great stuff! Everyday!

Too often we’re seated at desks when someone announces a target is hit, or we’re in a meeting or conversation.

Boring voice, stays seated  ... 'yawn. Yeah that’s great. Well done.' 

Our responses are cold and stale. So DIS-engaging. So…. robotic and machine-like.

Fire up ! Bring some game-style celebrations to the work you and your team are doing. You are hitting milestones and targets and you’re not making much of a deal about it.

Start making a big deal about it!

Get into a huddle, give huge applause, give great recognition and celebrate truly, loudly with cheers and ‘hoorays’ and smiles and laughter and back slaps and high fives – then watch the replay and relive it all over again! And again…

Remind people what they’re doing, why they’re doing it and how great they’re doing. Warmth, humanity, fun, games, collaboration, creative, communicative, rewarding…. we’re human after all.