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A great idea if your workshops feel like hard work…

Tags: Be interesting | Presentations | Meetings | Impact | Leadership

19th April

When you’re at workshops, do they feel like hard work?

Probably.

After all, they are called work-shops.

So, think of yours as being fun-shops. Or play-shops. Or action-shops.

…anything that helps you prepare – and deliver – them in the best way.

Similarly, having a review with a customer or colleague?

Don’t think of it as a review. That just makes you both focus all your attention on the past. Think of it as a preview. That way, you also focus on what’ll happen after it.

Making a presentation? Instead, think of it as a conversation. That way, you’re more likely to converse – a two-way interaction; not just present your ideas one-way.

What we call things has a huge impact on how we perceive them. After all, let’s face it, when you go to an Update Meeting, you think you’re about to be updated. Often about stuff you don’t care about. Before it’s even started, you know it’s going to be too long, too pointless and too dull.

And have you ever been excited when you received an email titled ‘FYI’?

No, me neither.

So, spend longer on your titles. It helps:

  • Your prep – you focus on the right things
  • Your delivery – both you and they enjoy the communication more
  • Your success – they’re more likely to do what you want as a result

I thought of calling every single Tuesday Tip ‘Here’s another communication idea’. (Ok, I didn’t)

And apparently newspapers thought of headlining every article with ‘Yet more news’. (Ok, they didn’t)

But poor titles are everywhere. Look at the email titles in your inbox, and try not to cry. Now look at the email titles in your Sent Items and try not to feel embarrassed.

You don’t have to spend ages carefully crafting titles. But you do have to spend more time than none. Your prep, delivery and success hinges on it.

Action point

As soon as you’ve finished reading this, you’ll no doubt be emailing someone. Call it something that will make them think ‘this looks interesting – I’ll open it straight away’.

And the next meeting invitation you send? Please don’t call it ‘Update’…