My upcoming speech! 02/17/2012
Are you fearful of that upcoming presentation, speech or toast at a retirement party? You are not alone! Effective public speaking is a learned behavior that anyone can accomplish. Jitters in public speaking can be a curse or a blessing to you depending on how you use it. As you learn to control your fear you will become more relaxed so that you can articulate the words you have assiduously been practicing. You will remember that you did organize your speech; therefore you won’t be rambling. You will use transitions from one relevant topic to another rather than not getting to the point. Most of all you will remember to use the 5Ps. see archive "cast the jitters " article below. Need to learn more... don’t hesitate to contact us.... Until, JPPMOTM Add Comment I crushed their ego! I won! Did YOU?? 02/17/2012
How often have you found yourself in a discussion where you won the argument but lost an alliance? Perhaps it was a situation where both parties were bent on sharing their views but when the conversation ended both parties had a lose/lose situation. Would you like to communicate your ideas, opinions or view so you can end up with a win/win result? You can always count on us to be your coaching partner. Until, JPPMOTM Everything happens for a reason... 02/17/2012
Someone once said "make it a rule of life never to regret and never to look back. Regret is an appalling waste of energy in which you can not build on it; it’s only used for self-pity." Do you hold on to regret? Do you realize holding on to regret is the same as keeping negativity in your life? Consider where you would be today if you did not let go and allow the regret to be a lesson learned? Now reflect on a part of your life that made a lasting impression on you because you allowed yourself to be open to letting go. Perhaps you can think of regret as a flower or a plant. When a plant has poor soil it typically experience poor growth. When a plant has rich and fertile soil it generally has abundant growth. I challenge you today to reflect on your past to see how you can change the way you deal with regret. YOU are not alone. Take the next step today if you want to learn more by contacting us.... eeverything happens for a reason. Until, JPPMOTM Are you a reactionary leader? Do you find yourself often regretting a decision? Are you the type who will not admit you were wrong? Or are you a leader who makes a decision based on a Blueprint? Consider the following scenario; then determine your initial response. You assign deliverables to teams with a request they submit their findings to a project lead for compilation and review. You eventually receive a poorly structured & unorganized report, laden with errors, omissions etc. Clearly there is a problem? What do you do? Do you fire the project lead for incompetence? Do you ask someone else to repair the problem eventually ceasing direct communication with the project lead? Do you give accolades because you don’t want to hurt the lead’s feelings? Do you evaluate alternate scenarios before making a decision? What is your decision making Blueprint? Most problems must be addressed from its root cause so that it doesn’t emerge again when least expected. There are many successful approaches to the above scenario. Assuming the project lead is coachable; you must find a way to communicate regarding his/her performance in other to pave a path for improvement. Consider probing using the acronyms PITM Blueprint: (1)P. (2)I. (3)T. (4)M. (1) Poor Training –Did the project lead gradually grow into the position with training or were they thrown into the position? If the project lead was thrown into the position; performance that is acceptable for one leader may be mediocre for another. Does the project lead have sufficient training and or comprehension of the processes and procedures for the position? Making an assumption that one’s title means proficiency isn’t always accurate; the lead may need direction on expectations. (2) Inadequate material – Did the project lead have sufficient resources or equipment to perform the requested tasks? Are there budget constraints that obligated the project lead to use limited resources? (3) Time– Does the project lead have satisfactory time to complete assignments properly? Do you assign the project lead all tasks? Does each task have an urgency attached to the due date? (4) Motivation– Does the project lead feel overworked and under appreciated? Is the project lead happy with their profession? Does the lead have a working relationship with co-workers, management? Is the lead having family problems that affect their performance? How do you know if the lead is motivated to perform their work? If research supported one of the acronyms - (P), (I), (T), (M), how do you approach the project lead? Fast forward to your Blueprint for the next assignment:
Until, JPPMOTM Success and self judgment 01/09/2012
Picture yourself in your late 20s, early 30s. You are a self-starter, tenacious fighter and a determined achiever. As you approach middle age self judgment becomes more evident in regards to those achieved and unachieved accomplishments and goals. You capriciously fail to realize your successes. Formerly, people / cultures outlook on success varied greatly. It was measured by such tasks as plowing the fields, being allowed to read, to write to vote, to wear pants or dear to be indifferent without being censured. Successes that may remain the same are those remote tribal societies that have no contact with the outside world. Today with the technological explosion and the ease of the instant discovery to be famous via reality shows etc, it’s almost a collective decision how success is defined I.e. becoming affluent and/or attaining instant recognition. Society has accepted success measurements as financial achievement. Those who have not realized their perceived successes tend to engage in destructive self judgment; in turn failing to recognize all the admirable achievements they have accomplished. Webster defines success as an event that accomplishes its intended purpose. Dictionary.com says it’s the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like. Do you believe success is mainly gauged in terms of economic or knowledge pursuit? Some define success as what others think of their accomplishments. What is your philosophy of success? Is your success deeply rooted in your heart, goals, vision etc? Or is it based on society’s demand? Until, JPPMOTM Welcome 2012! 01/01/2012
Some say "out with the old and in with the new ". I am certain many people would like to leave the past behind and start a clean slate. Unfortunately, technology has not caught up to us where we can actually erase those, painful memories, bad debts, remorseful decisions, appalling colleagues... the list can go on... What we can do is embrace what we would like to forget and confront it with determination to overcome it. The beginning of the year is a time that resolutions are made; why not make a resolution for those wishes that are new and those that are old that can be measurable and achievable. This quick tip may be helpful in getting started.
Until, JPPMOTM CAST THE JITTERS ASIDE! 12/29/2011
Have you ever been in a situation where you are scheduled to speak in front of an audience and suddenly you start to sweat profusely? Without notice, your hands become a distraction; do you put them in your pocket only to begin fiddling with your fingers? Or do you drum on the desk, lectern or object in front of you? Then your feet decide they want to be part of the action by forcing you to pace without a purpose, clumping unnecessarily or they drag along as if they don’t want to move with you. Without a doubt your brain cells are now active but not with the material you prepared rather they are preoccupied with the fact they were not invited to the hand and feet event. You are now desperately trying to conjure the introduction for your material, but you find yourself rambling because your nerves have taken over? You look around the room, hoping the thumping you are hearing is from someone walking; but you realize it’s your heart beating an undistinguished drumbeat. You call on a higher power, because you are now scared to death and you begin to pray for your knees to not buckle, your nerves to fly in formation, your heart to stop skipping a beat, you pray you do pass out and you do not embarrass yourself while you contemplate turning around to walk or rather run out of the room. Of course you have not experienced a situation like that! You are one of the few that have learned to “Cast the Jitters Aside”, well maybe when you finish reading this article. Let's call that experience 'Speaking Jitters" that you don't want to repeat again. Many people at some point in their lives experience speaking jitters. Most people know that speaking jitters do not only occur in front of a crowd of people. It can be encountered at a colleague or friend’s dinner party, kids PTA’s meeting, company meeting, a job interview and so forth… no limitations! Being able to communicate where you can be relaxed poised and in control of your nerves is important to be able to articulate your message clearly. It will occur when your speaking jitters fall in formation; meaning they are around but they do not cause the devastation above. Some people find a way to overcome those speaking jitters and others continue to fight them also known as the fear of public speaking; because, they do not take the necessary steps to conquer the fear. Napoleon Hill once said “If you do not conquer yourself, you will be conquered by yourself." We are at a crossroad. Do you want to take a small step in conquering you speaking jitters? If so, here are some immediate steps to apply towards casting away those speaking jitters. PLEI - PTP. If not, you would not have read this far. Keep in mind, Rome wasn't built in one day; the list below is a guide to get you started. Preparation *Adequate time must be spent on preparing your overall speech. Location *Visit the location prior to your speaking engagement. Equipment *If you plan on using AV, props, or any other equipment, arrive early enough to practice a dry run. Interact *Prior to the meeting, introduce yourself to some of the people in the audience. Precision *Don’t try so hard for perfection that you lose sight of your delivery. Tension *If you feel the jitters coming on, acknowledge to yourself that those jitters are perfectly normal, you are not alone, and you are in control. Practice *Continue to give speeches so you can eventually...… CAST THOSE JITTERS ASIDE! Need to learn more... don’t let your nerves stop you from making an inquiry. You've read this article; therefore, you should take the next step today. Remember, YOU are not alone! Until, JPPMOTM Is it odd that you did not see 5 or 10 tips for perfecting a meeting after lunch? Perhaps three tips are exactly what you need to get started and to ensure your audience does not fall asleep when facilitating a meeting. TIP ONE: Whether you are conducting a face-to-face meeting, a webinar, conference call etc, your number one priority is to be a magnet for your audience’s attention. Perhaps you can add a little bit of humor or excitement to your presentation. You can consider providing some words of wisdom or a message they can ponder on when you sense distractions are about to transpire. Keeping your audience attention will assist you in determining whether your message fell on fertile soil. TIP TWO: Ensure you are well versed in your subject for presentation. Remember your audience just came back from lunch; therefore, consider a topic that is energetic or can induce comradeship when revealing your subject. Keep your theme on the subject of your speech. Engage the audience by sharing short stories, anecdotes or humor in your delivery. Let the audience feel you are well versed in the subject by personalizing some of your talk when possible. TIP THREE: You are the ambassador on this subject therefore prepare your presentation with the same concept as a speech. You need an INTRODUCTION. This is the point where you capture your audience attention and maintain it throughout the presentation. You need a BODY. This is the part of your presentation where you present what you want the audience to know using smooth transitions. Transitions can be used in many ways as long as it's seamless to the audience. Anecdotes, +/- 1 minute humor, personalized insights, short stories, etc are ways to transition into your next point. You need a CONCLUSION. This is the part of your presentation where you leave the audience wanting more. You captured their attention, you shared with them the points on the subject and just when they are about to take a break you leave them with some food for thought. OK! There are many other tips that can help you deliver an exceptional presentation. Rome wasn’t built in one day and neither will your development for an effective presentation. Since you are curious, here are a few ideas to ponder on when making a presentation:
Until, JPPMOTM. Would you want to inherit a project that has been passed around for years and can’t find a home? 07/18/2011
The mandatory government deadline is approaching; therefore someone has to determine how to meet the project deadline for the company delayed project or risk loosing the contract. You are the new kid on the block which means this unsolicited project will get dumped in your lap. As a PM consultant what do you do? Where do you start? How do you prove you can handle the troubled project that does not have an apparent prologue? All eyes are on you. Should completing a project successfully be defined by the end result only? Does it matter if you were successful in building personal interactions with the stakeholders? Applying those incalculable skills that are not measured in PM methodologies. Which would you rather? A successful project on paper or a successful project that was built on enriched relationships? Why one or the other? | JP-PMOTM
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