Self consciousness

Are you sometimes self conscious of what you are saying while communicating? Do you wish you could have done a better job in expressing yourself instead of fumbling on your words? Maybe this story will help you. Jones had an idea on how to make a ground breaking change to one of the most important metrics in the company he works in. He started to speak to his boss, who in this case had Jones' fate in his hand. Jones, while trying to be perfect, could not help but think about his choice of words, making sure his pitch was not to high so as not to be percieved as aggressive, wondered what his boss was percieving him. All these different mixed brain activities disrupted the coherence in his voice. No telling the outcome of the conversation. The lesson learned is to shut off all internal voices and be internally stable. Focus on the mission at hand. Remember if you do not express the change you want successfully, what you get is status quo.

Energy v. Vocabulary

Volka began her presentation with an audible voice and a few 'out of the Oxford dictionary' words in her phrases and sentences. The room was engaged and impressed up until about 2 mins into it. Volka's voice lost steam and volume dropped. The message was clear, when Blackberries got more attention. The audience had lost interest. Java was next in line. She too started with an audible voice. She also seemed confident and applied proportionate energy to her voice that stabilized the volume, even though her vocubulary was plain and simple. The audience seemed connected and engaged, often laughing at side jokes she made. The icing on the cake was, her presentation material was visual. What was the distinguishing factor here, you might ask. It was nothing magical but the energy in Java's voice that kept the audience engaged and connected. For those that asked. Yes! from that meeting Java's presentation stuck in people's memories. Never let your volume drop. Energy can get you thru even if you don't feel confident. So, ENERGIZE!

PP1 and PS1

To begin with, what are PP1 and PS1 in a corporate context? PP1 is Preparer 1 [This person does the work. He/She is the brains BEHIND it all] wonder why they are not on the FRONT page..... PS1 is Presenter 1 [This person adds the sexiness to the hard work already done by PP1 and become the face of it to an audience] In many organizations, you will find both. PP1 is like diamond in the dirt. Valuable but inviscible. While PS1 is like the diamond earrings you wear on gala night. Valuable and visible. PS1 is typically valued over PP1. Why is this the case, you may wonder? Its because diamond in the dirt is not very valuable until discovered and even when found, a woman couldn't present/wear it in its dirty, raw form [PP1] on gala night. It becomes wearable in its new form [PS1]. PP1 is that person that just can't express/communicate all their inventions and need a PS1 to present them to the world. In the end, the world only remembers PS1s, though PP1 will get his reward,... someday. It is critical to learn and possess the ability to express ourselves. This can be done, not just by big vocabulary but even simple words, that are clear enough, with the right amount of energy added to their voice and connection with audience. Watch any speech by Malaya Yousafazi on youtube and be inspired. As you build the brain power, remember PS1s. Build upon your ability to express your ideas, opinions to the world and get the reward you rightfully deserve.