Practice makes Permanent

Only three days to go and I am starting to get nervous. I am about to co-host a 2 hour workshop this Thursday and I am finding difficult to focus on anything else. Public speaking played a big part in a previous role and all I can remember is that I loved it. I managed a large sales team and was responsible for motivating them daily. I also had opportunities to speak at large national conferences and lived for it. I actually couldn’t remember what it was like the first time I stood up in front of my team or when I spoke to a large audience. Was I nervous? Was I any good?

Our flagship programme, the Dale Carnegie Course has five key drivers and these are developed over a period of time through, facilitation, practice and coaching. Another medium that is used to develop some of these skills is public speaking. I have spoken to many people over the last 18 months for whom confidence was a fundamental challenge that needed to be overcome. I have assured many people that it is natural to feel nerves when speaking in public. I have advised my clients that everyone gets butterflies, even the most polished presenters. It’s just a matter of turning that into excitement and using it in your favour. I believe there are only two instances where you would not feel nerves before presenting. One is if you don’t care about what you are presenting and the second is if you don’t care about the audience.

I have realized however that it is very easy to fall back into my comfort zone. It has been a while since I last presented and the nerves have kicked in big time. I guess it’s time for me to take my own advice and try to make it work for me. I know the only way for me to become a better presenter is to practice and practice.

If you would like to attend some of our free seminars and course previews and find out how we have supported individual’s, teams and companies to over come challenges and get better results then please follow the link below.

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Hopefully, I’ll be presenting at one of these events.

Have a great week,

Amar

The language of love

Love is at the centre of a successful organisation. Why did I not see this before? Why do we avoid combining the language of love and business in the same sentence? We use euphemisms like, “client service”, or “personnel policies and procedures,” when what we really mean is putting love at the centre of what we do. It is our key driver, our dominant motive, our greatest need and yet we do not name it.

What is management? Well one definition is – getting tasks done through people. Early in our management careers we learn that we can manage other resources, like buildings, cash and raw materials. Try to do that with people and our endeavours are bound to fail - eventually. Managing people is like trying to herd cats.

Why did we ever think we could tell people to obey us? We were rather seduced by the model of command and control inherited from the theatre of war. The trouble was that we brought other war-like attitudes and language with it: destroy the competition, discipline the work force; make a killing on the stock market and so on.

Now – there is another way - if we have love at the centre of an organisation we create products and services with intrinsic value and integrity; we build enduring and affirming relationships with people in our sphere of influence; and we use the planet’s resources responsibly and with sustainability at the forefront of our business strategy: Profit, People, Planet!

In the current climate there is a temptation, in the most enlightened companies, to revert to bullying behaviour. But we all know, deep down, that the bully is the most scared child in the playground. The language of the bully is, do this or else - or else what? I lose my job, I do not get a pay rise, you stop being nice to me? Money is not a motivator, and most people are not turned on by threats. They may go through the motions but they will never give you what you really want,

Enthusiastic cooperation from our people is a gift not a right: a true leader creates an environment of love where that gift can be freely given and gracefully received.

The language of love is sometimes denigrated as a weak thing – slightly embarrassing and a bit over the top. This is foolish. Someone who loves is prepared to give up his life for a cause or a friend; is able to create an environment where people feel valued and free; and whose behaviour consistently reflects values of integrity, honesty and fidelity. There is nothing weak or indeed easy about that.

Exchange the word leader for lover. Leadership is love; love is leadership. Phew – I feel better now!!

Jane Kustner
Dale Carnegie Instructor

http://www.london.dalecarnegie.com/

Take one for the Team

It’s 8.55pm and I am sitting on the sofa with chocolate by my side and the TV on.... ready and waiting for the next instalment of Hell’s Kitchen. Over the past week I have found myself becoming rather drawn into this latest reality TV show. You may be thinking to yourself ‘What is she watching that rubbish for, has she nothing better to do?’, but if you look past the cameras and the glamour there are some core values being showcased which are key to any successful working environment.

Marco Pierre White sacked one celebrity from the kitchen because he wasn’t a team player. He appeared to have been doing well, working hard and cooking what was expected of him but this was not enough to survive. He built up no rapport and chose to work as an individual rather than helping and working alongside the others. He may have been creating what was required but what he was producing was not spectacular, if he had chipped in with the others and made himself a team player perhaps the results he could have achieved would not just have been acceptable but would have been outstanding.

Marco leaves the kitchen in the hands of the celebrities, how will they cope without their teacher at the helm? Step up Ade.... as soon as Marco has left the kitchen Ade has taken control, he is shouting orders, checking his colleagues are ok and getting stuck in to the task at hand. He keeps the kitchen moving, which in turn keeps the food going out to the tables and consequently makes the diners happy. If Ade hadn’t stepped up to the challenge and taken the role of leader things could have been very different. Every working environment needs a leader who will engage with the team and lead them in the right direction to achieve the desired results.

So if you take away the celebrities and the TV cameras Hell's Kitchen is very similar to any work place; people are key to its success. Whether you are working in a shop on Oxford street, an office in the city or in Hell’s kitchen, you need team players and leaders to make sure your successful in whatever you do.

Sophie Whittall

Marketing & Admin

http://www.london.dalecarnegie.com/

A Childs Passion

Sunday 29th March 2009 and there I was amongst musicians and artists together with my youngest son Jason (11 years) discussing the new drama, music and film studios being launched in London and Essex. Exuberance surrounded the room with high spirited people discussing the first ‘Battle of the Bands’ contest named the ‘L’ Factor, (L = Loughton).

Imagine creating new bands with different musicians and the winner having their own song recorded, produced and then released to the world. This is going to happen in the next two months. The owner of the recording studio spoke to my son and after finding out Jason played the drums, he suggested that he put a group together and enter the competition.

Well I have never seen so much excitement, energy and sheer enthusiasm from my son to want something to work. By the end of the day he had managed to phone and enlist a guitarist and vocal lead. Now it was time for him to find three songs and create a name for the band. Again by night fall three songs chosen and a name – ‘One in a Lifetime’. He is currently designing his own logo. His elder brother is already manager and me as Dad can happily sit on the sidelines and watch the intensity of what’s occurring with pride.

The event is only a few weeks away but Jason has managed to put himself in with a chance to perform in front of key music professionals and enjoy a great night. He knows the reality of the competition and is under no illusion of grandeur. It’s about “taking part, having fun and gaining more experience”. These are his words to me.

For me who admires anyone who can demonstrate passion for a hobby, career and of course their family deserves the time of day. We are in a tough climate and those who excel are those who show the right level of passion for success. If I or any of you take just 50% of what Jason has demonstrated over the last few days, you will achieve amazing things.

Dale Carnegie quoted “You never achieve success unless you like what you are doing.”

Frank Steggall

http://www.london.dalecarnegie.com/