Articles from 2001

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2001

The Importance of Milestones and a Really Good Story ( Dec 2001 )

Get Up and Get Going! - 5 Tools For Curing That Deep Blue Funk ( Nov 2001 )

Gathering the Believers ( Oct 2001 )

Harold Would Have Loved This ( Sep 2001 )

8 Ways to Maximise Your Keynote Speaker ( Sep 2001 )

The Importance of Vision ( Aug 2001 )

Aug 2001 issue

RETURNING TO EVEREST: THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A VISION

One of the most common questions I was asked last year was " Why are you going back to climb Mt Everest? Didn't you guys climb it in 1998?"

Far from being annoying, such opportunities allowed me expound briefly that a mountain can be climbed by many different routes. If pushing standards mean climbing progressively harder routes on the same mountain, returning to Everest would only make sense to a mountaineer if he/she wanted to improve on what was done previously. If you wanted merely to taste the achievement of getting to the summit of the world you could always opt for climbing by the easiest route with the maximum level of external help from eg. professional guides, sherpa porters and so on. So the attempt on the north ridge of Everest was one such example of self-expression but it needed some explaining - after all, some people already think climbers are on the lunatic fringe of society (!).

We had a clear vision and reinforced it in every media release, on our website and in every face-to-face contact opportunity. This helped overcome objections and various minor setbacks.

LESSON:

Striving for higher professional standards demands a vision. Only by having a vision and working gradually to it can there be some sense of direction and achievement. In August1999 I had a dream to lead a climb of Mt Everest from a harder route. We kept to this vision until the project's completion in Jun 2001.

In the months ahead I'll be outlining some tools you may find useful in helping you or your associated to keep focused on the goal.

TRY THIS:

Ask your work team or divisional associates if they have a personal or professional dream; a goal, some vision. And then ask them to write down what they are doing to achieve it. Someone who needs more than 10 minutes to do so may need to think a bit more about their work and goals.

Sep 2001 issue - Article 1

HAROLD WOULD HAVE LOVED THIS

This is a true story. It isn't new and it's probably been retold elsewhere and the names have been changed. But the message is still the same.

It begins with a package holiday to Hawaii with a group of Americans. One was Doris, a chatty middle aged lady, who was thoroughly enjoying herself. At every viewing point and fun tourist venue she'd mention " Harold would have loved this". Finally at the big traditional roast pig feast by the beach, the writer of this story asks her about Harold.

She said, " Harold was my husband. We got married very young and he spent most of his life building his business and working. He'd always heard about Hawaii and seen it in the documentaries. He bought records of Hawaiian music and often talked about grass-skirted dancers, the beaches and all that. But for some reason we never got round to actually going. One year, it was a bad recession. Another time, our son had his graduation party too close to when we wanted to go. Most of the time, there was always something like a long business trip in the summer. Last year, he got ill suddenly and died soon after. I decided to make the trip this year so see Hawaii after all this time. Now, I'm here, sitting on the beach in the moonlight and under these gorgeous flaming torches. Harold would have loved it. "

Isn't there something we've always wanted to do but never quite got round to it? Maybe it's calling a favourite aunt who now lives abroad. Maybe it's going to see your son in the middle of a working day playing a football match. Maybe it might even be making a trip to somewhere. Don' t delay, make your plans, seize the moment.

Make a list of three things you really want to do ( and I'm not talking about paying the phone bill ) in the next month and then in the next year - enjoy, laugh, share, cry .

Sep 2001 issue - Article 2

8 WAYS TO MAXIMISE YOUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER


Here are eight simple ways to leverage your professional speaker at your next event. By following these points, you and your audience will get a lot more out of your speaker and you'll be a big hit when the event is done

1) Insist on a pre-event meeting to discuss your corporate messages, corporate culture and meeting theme. Work with your speaker to emphasise three key points ( no one really remembers more in a typical one-hour presentation ). Mention the type of audience. This can be critical in how the presentation is pitched

2) Do a pre-event walkthrough ( if the speaker is available, even better ) of the actual venue; checking the ambient lighting, view the audience will have, power points. Relay this to the speaker. There's nothing worse than having him turn up for light-sensitive presentation in some atrium complex with strong sunlight streaming in from everywhere. Powerful delivery of corporate messages is essential and an audience squinting at faint Powerpoint images on a screen in the sunlight isnt the way to do it.

3) Discuss your expectations and what the speaker can deliver. This avoids disappointment if he/she is not what you expected.

4) Have the speaker's presentation title dovetail with your event theme. So this is an upbeat, annual kickoff- type event , your speaker's lecture should also have a similar upbeat title, props and/or images to go with it.

5) Hype-up your speaker through in-house email, posters and such materials. Build some suspense and excitement as part of the event. When I made a keynote presentation on Commitment to the Process 2 years ago to a client, their design department made posters showing just a pair of blackened, frostbitten hands. The large headlines said something like:

" When Asked to Climb a Mountain, Few Are Willing to Lift a Finger.
Come and Meet Someone Who Gives Both Hands Up "

The poster might have been slightly shocking to some, but it was definitely arresting and intriguing.

6) Allow for a strong build up by working with your speaker to come up with an introduction which is a lead-in to his/her appearance. This is part of the programme! I made a mistake on one occasion by providing some clients with a one-page resume, assuming that they would paraphrase it as an intro. Instead, they merely read almost ad verbatim from the one-pager. This reduced the impact I would have made on my entrance.

On another occasion last year, Discovery Channel Networks' event host introduced me by wearing a parka and re-entering the spotlight in a flurry of fake snow from a hidden snow machine. What a difference it made to my punchy presentation! Every bit helps.

7) a rehearsal if the speaker is part of an ongoing all-day, all-week event is vital. There may be actual operational issues which might not arise until the speaker is on stage - by which time it may be too late to rectify any problems

8) an area dedicated to allowing your audience to meet the speaker at the subsequent tea break or after the event. This allows for the distribution or sale of complementary materials, video - further reinforcing your corporate messages. A handshake and a 5-minute face-to-face with a speaker can also subtly but powerfully strengthen the messages you want to project.

Oct 2001 issue

GATHERING THE BELIEVERS

Before embarking on any project or venture in life, it is vital to look at the available support for the project. I call this Gathering the Believers. The harder and more ambitious the project, the more critical it is to make sure all those involved believe in what they are doing. This does not mean you should surround yourself with " yes" men. Rather, followers , helpers and contributors to the project must trust that their own strength and belief can make the venture succeed. Keep away the talk-no-action people, sceptics and others who will bring unjustified negativity to the project.

In 1994, it was a challenging task to select team members and contributors to the Everest climb. Committing to a four year plan with little guarantee of a successful outcome. Of the 13 climbing members inducted, eventually 8 remained. More telling, all three of our key support members; Dr Shani Tan ( medical ), Col Bruce Niven ( basecamp manager ) and Johann Annuar ( communications ) stayed with us through the course of our expedition.

TRY THIS: Look at your current project/ sales/ action team. How many can you say are ' believers'? Are their performance levels on par with your expectations?

Nov 2001 issue

GET UP AND GET GOING !

A few weeks ago, this island's major English broadsheet, The Straits Times, reported that:

"Out of the 700 people polled, 58 per cent described their morale as low, and 57.5 per cent were worried about losing their jobs or their businesses folding. "

Job cuts in the hundreds. Leading Singapore and MNCs reporting major losses. A neighbour of mine was retrenched and many who are self-employed are seriously worried. Here are some tools to get you out of this gloomy state of affairs and recharge your morale:

Morale Battery Chargers:

1) Do a Personal and Professional Audit -

Whether or not you are at risk or just plain sailing along, sit down with your cup of java and do a personal and professional audit. This exercise will help you focus on the risks you and your family may be exposed to in case of a loss of employment or downturn in business prospects.

List your asset base, cash flow, dependents, monthly outgoings. Check to see what you need to survive with your family in terms of finances. Professionally, review your performance appraisals, industry risk factors, talk to people - build support in and out of your job. Your professional future may lie outside of your current employer. Update your resume now.


2) Build Your Support Group

Find not only family and friends as a support group but also cultivate your professional and business acquaintances. Referrals are powerful tools in allowing you get knowledge about new opportunities. Get to know more people in your industry or areas of interest. Find similar people to know if you play a sport or similar interests. Once a month. devote an hour at work calling up old contacts and people to get an update from their corner of town or just say hello. Believe me, they'll appreciate the call. People who only call me when they want something or a favour dont't fall into my good books


3) Get Physical

Some of my best ideas happen when I am on a walk or a training workout on long staircases. Exercise boosts metabolic rates, flushes toxins out and allows quality ' down' time for a harassed mind. I fill my thought with objective visualisation - seeing where I want to be; succeeding in my goals - or just working out an idea or an issue without the distractions of stereos / walkmans ( I dont carry one ) or mobiles.

4) Your Goals in Writing

Every evening, write down what you need to for the next day. Enjoy ticking of the items the next day - it feels you have accomplished things


5) Celebrate the Small Things

Got an elusive client to meet you? How about hitting your academic or professional targets/grades? You tidied your desk? Spring cleaning done at home? Filed that mess in your in-basket? Go on - reward yourself. Get an ice cream, sit back and do nothing for 5 minutes. Buy a meal with your friends.

If some experts tell you not to sweat the small stuff, the least you can do is to also celebrate the small successes in life

Dec 2001 issue

MILESTONES

November 28th - this week - marked a milestone for me. It seems that the three years between 28/11/98 and 28/11/01 have flown by. I recall vividly my leaving the safe and predictable routine of six months of hospitalisation to return to the real world. A hobbling return to my flat, negotiating stairs and then the strangely unfamiliar surroundings of a once familiar world - my home.

I spent the best part of 1999 regaining strength, scouring the web for more information on my condition and disability. I was also on a look-out for more advanced orthotics.

On Nov 3rd , 1999, I scaled my first 'real' mountain - returning to the 4095m Mt Kinabalu in East Malaysia - and refusing, as in my past life, to choose the easy option. Here, our small team hauled packs with tents, ropes and climbing gear, eschewing the luxury of the resthouses en route. Here, amidst the granite pinnacles and windswept summit plateau, I felt at home. Descending, I fell twice with my large pack and took twice the 'normal' time to get back to the Park headquarters. All good, hard fun.

What kind of impact do such milestones make in our lives? Too often, the dates in our diary which we mark out are merely birthdays we celebrate with our family and friends.

ACTION PLAN:

Take time out, make a note of some significant milestones in your life, even the sadder ones. Pay tribute to loved ones long gone; a special date in your professional or personal life. Look back, reflect - press on with the new found strength, convictions and experience

A REALLY GOOD STORY

I received this story via e-mail and decide to share it here:

"A wise woman who was travelling in the mountains found a precious stone
in a stream. The next day she met another traveller who was hungry, and
the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveller saw
the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so
without hesitation. The traveller left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He
knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But
a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman.
"I've been thinking," he said, "I know how valuable the stone is, but I
give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more
precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me
the stone."

ANON.

Just how valuable is self-cognizance? In my daily work, I meet so many stressed and overworked people who have stopped to think about what life and work means to them. They remain unhappy and unfulfilled - seeking the valuable ' stone' of life - but missing the point about why they wanted to go there in the first place. Be touched in this festive season - look into those kinder and gentler and ask why they are the way they are. I know I will.