Last year Megan Mylan set the bar with her Oscar acceptance speech.  This year, unfortunately, no winner quite met the bar that Megan had set, although some certainly took it in a much different direction.

The lack of great acceptance speeches at the Academy Awards is nothing new — Joseph Lindsay has posted an excellent article on that here.

One “thing” that stood out to me more than any other last evening…reports indicate that the number of viewers increased by 15 % from 2009, and stood at over 41 million. 41,000,000. Think about that.

Over 41 million people watched the ceremony, during which awards were presented to a cadre of film professionals.  Said professionals participated in those movies and films that were watched by, oh, I don’t know…maybe some of the 41 million people who tuned in last night.

Not one acceptance speech focused on the one group who made each award possible – THE AUDIENCE.  No one spent significant time thanking the fans who voted with ticket purchases and their time.

There is a crucial public speaking lesson here — if you should ever win an award (and I hope each of you win a number of them), when you accept,  remember your audience, always.

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I spent an interesting(and frustrating) two days last week- the first watching a number of legislative hearings, and the second watching a number of presentations/pitches before venture capitalists and private equity groups.

The similarity was striking, and there are

1.  You are presenting for your audience, not yourself — It doesn’t matter if you are presenting on the floor of the House of Representatives or on the floor of a private equity investors boardroom — your presentation is not about you, it is about the folks you are presenting to.

2. Focus – What are you trying to accomplish? – Rallying support behind a cause? Garnering votes for a bill? Gaining the interest/investment of equity groups?  Moving poll numbers? Placating a board?  Far too many presentations have no focus,  fail to answer this central question and fail to get the desired response.  Wonder why?

3. Reading verbatim IS NOT fundamental - First of all, the organization Reading is Fundamental does truly wonderful work.  There is one situation where reading is not fundamental, and then is when you are presenting.

I watched an entire Congressional hearing where EVERY opening statement was read verbatim, with eyes failing to meet anything but the copy of the testimony — three things were obvious:  1) the Congressional member reading was rarely, if ever, the author of what was being read; 2) the Congressional member displayed very little, if any, ownership of the words written; and 3) the chances of connecting with the audience was non-existent (Watching reporters and interested parties typing away on iPhones and Blackberry’s is not a positive sign)

To Legislators:  It is understandable that you have staff prepare comments prior to committee meetings and floor votes – your time is very limited and the pressures on you are great.  However, if you do not have the time to take the prepared comments, introduce your own thoughts, and re-write sections in your own words and language, you are better off not speaking at all.

To Entrepreneurs:  It is understandable that you are nervous, have a lot of information to convey, and have written it down in order to ensure that you are able to introduce every concept you feel is necessary.  Reading directly off of a script, or even worse, off of a PPT (the subject of another post) will not allow potential investors to see how passionate and confident you are about your company, your fund or your idea.

Invest the time in practice and preparation. If the President can re-write comments, practice and invest countless hours in preparation for an address, so can everyone else.

The President does it because he is well aware of the fallout should he fail to prepare.  The question is, what is the fallout should you fail to prepare?

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Whether you are a CIO or a front line IT professional, if you can not explain to other professionals, either in IT or on the business end of your organization, exactly what you do and what you deliver for the organization, you will have a problem in this economic climate. Period.

As an IT professional, you need to be able to present to your boss, your boss’s boss, the CEO, and investors or shareholders how the loss of you as an individual, or the loss of your team, would impact the business and its bottom line. In these economic times, communication is no longer a “soft skill” or “luxury” for an IT pro. It can mean the difference between maintaining your position or losing it and/or the difference between being able to retain funding for your division or your division shrinking.

So how can an IT leader become more effective at communicating? These six steps will certainly help:

1. Develop relationships within your organization but outside of the IT department- This seems like common sense but this often gets pushed to the side in favor of day-to-day responsibilities that yield immediate results. It is much easier to communicate what you do and why it is important to someone who is used to hearing from you regularly. Make a habit of trying to develop a relationship within a different division of the business at least once a month.

2. Develop a message – How does what you do, or what your team does, further the efforts of the organization? How does it help the business achieve its bottom line objectives? Being able to articulate this is crucial.

3. Be open. Be available.– IT can often breed a solo or small team atmosphere. If you are a leader in your organization, be seen. Nothing is worse than a CIO, CTO, EVP, etc., who stays behind closed doors and remains silent.

4. Treat your top talent as you would your board and investors – If you think you have talked to them enough, go back and talk to them one more time. Trust me, if your top talent is nervous– and they are– and you are not communicating with them, they are looking elsewhere. As times get more challenging, your top talent becomes more valuable to competitors. Replacing superstars in this environment is not easy.

5. Be consistent – Nothing deflates an organization or a team more than perceived inconsistency in communication or communication style. Everything you do sends a message, and communications, or lack thereof, sends a clear message. (Hint – not a positive one)

6. Be open with information – Within an organization, information hoarding is a thing of the past – the reality is that whatever information you have, others will be able to access soon enough. Information hoarding within an organization is poisonous and breeds distrust.

Remember, in tough economic times, leadership is always looking for places to cut. It is your job as an IT leader to be prepared to educate those in the company hierarchy who don’t understand the value of IT as well as those who view IT as a basic commodity rather than an individualized function that improves a company’s bottom line. This could mean the difference between funding increases or decreases, headcount reductions or stabilization, or even the difference between keeping some function in house rather than outsourced.

* This post ran last week on Experts Exchange, which is “…an IT and computer solutions community of more than 50,000 experts dedicated to exchanging knowledge and solving your technical problems. Experts Exchange is the most efficient and reliable IT resource on the Internet as evident by more than 2.6 million tech solutions.”   It is a terrific resource, and I encourage everyone to join.

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In Pt. I of this series I went over a number of tips and tactics to deal with the fear of public speaking.  One of the tactics was breathing, which sounds so simple, and is often anything but the night before, or the hour before, you are to give a speech or presentation.

Today will focus 0n a few of my favorite breathing techniques to use prior to presenting or giving a speech:

1. Three Deep Belly Breaths – Sounds like what it is.  Slowly inhale through the nose for a count of 5-15 (15 is optimal). Keep one hand on your diaphragm and feel it enlarge as you inhale.  Hold for 5-10 seconds, and then exhale through your mouth slowly, again for a count of 5-15 seconds (15 is optimal).  Repeat three times.  This is awesome for the few minutes before you are actually going to be speaking.  Immediately relaxing.

2. Ujjaiy Breathing - Also known as Oceanic or Victorious Breathing – it is awesome. It is a yogic breathing technique I first learned from struggling through Vinyasa yoga classes with Nicole, and now practice for 5-10 minutes every day. Similar to deep belly breathing, however this time the mouth stays closed the entire time.  The best way to learn how is to watch demonstrations -  here, here and here.

3. Alternate Nostril Breathing Technique (my favorite) – All you need for this is your thumb, your pinkie finger, and your nose (sounds like the start of a bad joke!).  To begin, simply cover your left nostril with your left thumb, and slowly and deeply inhale for 5 seconds to start (10 is optimal).  Then immediately cover your right nostril with your left pinkie finger, while keeping your left nostril pressed closed – at all times your mouth is closed as well, so at this point you are essentially holding your breathe.  Again, hold for 5 seconds (10 is optimal). Then remove your left thumb from your left nostril and slowly exhale for a 10 count.  Wait two seconds and repeat the same technique, inhaling through your left nostril as your right nostril is still closed, etc. I usually do 10-15 rounds of this every day, and the feeling is amazing, and very relaxing.

While not “cures”, these techniques all do a good job of reducing  public speaking anxiety and fear associated with public speaking.  Again, while there are no “cures” (and don’t believe anyone who tells you there are!) there are techniques and strategies to alleviate public speaking fear.  Stay tuned for Pt. III…

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What Mr. Toyoda (and any executive in a similar situation) should do now:

1. Develop your Message – Today! – The Prius was a groundbreaking achievement, Lexus is a leader in the luxury class, and Toyota has always been dependable;  A week later, there is no message, which is a message.

2. Speak Publicly Immediately — You are simply taking too much incoming fire at this point; a member of the Toyoda family must speak, now, today, and every day going forward until this crisis is settled

3. Appear Publicly – Again, every day until this situation is calmed.  At this point, there is no such thing as overexposure. None.

4. Show up where your customers are – I would recommend factories, showrooms, individual dealerships, etc. – not events where very, very, very few people have access to you — speaking at Davos and Davos only might have been worse than not speaking at all

5. Demonstrate Emotion – Pronto! – Set up a fund  to assist grieving families that have suffered as a result of the malfunctioning pedals.

6. Get Media Trained – Immediately – Based on the statement Akio made at Davos, media training of all top execs is an immediate priority.  Immediate.  I understand that caution and the prevention of over-reaction were crucial, but that horse has left the barn, you need to address it now.

7. Follow your Crisis Management Plan — A lesson in advance for every other CEO out there — if you don’t have a crisis management plan in place, get one in place this week.

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Challenge Day – The Power of Words

Challenge Day – The Power of Words

This video was taken a few years ago at Yuba City High School (CA). It is one of the most powerful clips I have seen, and illustrates the power of words and messages in a way that very few speeches or presentations can.

Challenge Day is the organization that created and operates the Challenge Day program at schools across the United States – check it out. 

There is also a communications lesson here – Challenge Day effectively illustrates how to a) craft a very powerful message and b) make it very easy for everyone who comes in contact with the message to personalize and internalize it.  Very powerful and very effective!

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I.   “You lie!”

With those two words, Congressman Joe Wilson (R-South Carolina) now might have the highest name identification in Congress.  Those two words are not today’s topic – Congressman Wilson’s apology is.

Crisis Communications 101 – Apologize!

Crisis Communications 101 (a) – Be Sincere and Mean it!

Number one without number two is a) disingenuous (obviously) and b) dangerous to you and your credibility with the public.

Here are Congressman Wilson’s comments at an impromptu press conference today:

“Last night, I spoke to the leadership, and they wanted me to contact the White House and say that my statements were inappropriate. And I did.”

“I am very grateful that the White House in talking with them, they indicated that they appreciated the call and that we needed to have a civil discussion on the health-care issues…”

When is an apology not an apology? See above.

The issue exists in the first sentence – “Last night, I spoke to the leadership, and they wanted me to contact the White House and say that my statements were inappropriate. And I did.” 

If the apology isn’t coming from the heart, but instead because “leadership wanted me to” then one should not apologize.  In this day and age where apologies appear everyday, the last thing an untrusting public wants to hear is another one.

How he could have sincerely apologized (hint – for the timing of the comments, not for the comments themselves):

1. “There is a code of conduct within the Congress.  I did not live up to that code last night, and for that I am sorry.”

2. “While I vehemently disagree with the President and his assertions with regard to (said issue), the way I handled it this evening was totally inappropriate, sets a bad example, and for that I am truly sorry.”

3. “It was inappropriate and rude to comment during the President’s speech.  The issue that should be debated today is the content of the health care package rather than my comments, and I have done an injustice to the President, my caucus and the overall debate with a ill-timed comment.  For that, I have apologized to the President, the Congress and my constituents.”

Congressman Wilson missed a great opportunity for damage control, which not only hurts him, but also hurts the GOP as the issue of the day is not the contents of the President’s speech, but rather two words.  That is a huge missed opportunity for Republicans because….

II.   Finger Pointing

…last night was not the President’s greatest performance for a number of reasons, but one in particular.  Finger pointing – literally. 

The President continually pointed his finger, both down and at his audience.  Repeated finger pointing while giving a speech often can appear to be angry, lecturing and defensive. On television, this effect is amplified dramatically.

As advertisements for Dry Idea used to say, “Never let them see you sweat.”  The President earned the nickname “No Drama Obama” due to his ability to never let anyone see him (figuratively) sweat. 

For one the first times in a long time, the public saw a bit of perspiration…  

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I am pleased to announce that effective today, Princeton Public Speaking and 5WPR have entered into an exclusive strategic partnership.

5WPR is a member of the Inc. 500, is one of the largest public relations firms in the US, and has offices in New York and Los Angeles. The firm represents a diverse client base ranging from Whole Foods to the Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial to BET Networks, a wide range of international interests, and major figures from the entertainment, sports and music worlds. 

Ronn Torossian, the CEO of 5WPR, is as dynamic a figure as you will ever meet and is a master at his craft.  I have had the opportunity to work with Ronn on a whole host of client issues over the past few years, and in every situation (literally every situation) Ronn was not only succcesful, he took on the client’s cause as his own. The official announcement:

Princeton Public Speaking & 5WPR Form Strategic Partnership

NEW YORK, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ — 5W Public Relations, one of the 25 largest PR firms in the U.S., and Princeton Public Speaking (PPS) announced today an exclusive strategic partnership for communications training, media and presentation training, and trial/witness preparation. Princeton Public Speaking will utilize 5WPR for clients’ PR needs, and 5WPR clients will utilize PPS for communications and media training.

“We have worked together closely for a number of years, referring clients to one another, been involved in a number of crisis matters with confidential client trainings and have always had terrific results. We have decided that formalizing this partnership will mean better results for our clients and companies,” said Matt Eventoff, President of Princeton Public Speaking.

“Training allows confidential, authentic communications practices which accentuates a client’s strengths, mitigates weaknesses, and allows the client to deliver his or her message effectively, articulately and memorably,” said Ronn Torossian, CEO of 5WPR. “From addressing body language to understanding the difference between speaking to broadcast, print or radio outlets, the most compelling message can get lost among verbal and non verbal ‘tics’ that remove the focus from the message.”

Programs will specialize in private one-on-one sessions with individuals in leadership positions. Additional services will include customized designed, partial day, full day, and multi-day workshops for key personnel, teams, or small groups.

About Matt Eventoff:

Matt Eventoff helps leaders become great communicators. He has been intimately involved in all aspects of public speaking — from crisis management and presentation skills training to message development and delivery for over 15 years. Matt is also well-versed in the world of new media and how to integrate social networking, viral video, and other online communications with traditional public speaking and messaging methods. Matt works as a communications strategist for senior executives at Fortune 100 institutions, litigators, entertainers, and political leaders throughout the U.S. and abroad.

About 5WPR

5W Public Relations (www.5wpr.com) is a full-service public relations firm known for implementing cutting-edge, customized media programs designed to impact client specific business goals and objectives. 5WPR’s energetic, fast-paced, and focused culture earned the firm a spot on the INC. 500 list and the title of “fastest-growing agency” three years in a row. One of the 25 largest PR firms in the US, the agency maintains practice areas in consumer, technology, health and wellness, entertainment, lifestyle, fashion, and corporate communications. The growth and recognition of 5WPR stems from a focused, smart, and creative staff that expertly communicates client messages to impact ROI. The team is led by CEO, Ronn Torossian, and has the understanding and ability to harness the newest tools in a rapidly changing media landscape. This 24/7 approach to the media led the industry’s foremost trade magazine to describe 5WPR as “aggressive in a way that clearly resonates with clients looking for a firm staffed with type A-plus personalities, a BS-free approach, and results from Day One.”

SOURCE 5W Public Relations

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Elie Saidman, a friend and a very succesful entreprenuer, had a great post on his blog this morning that I not only found very interesting, but completely agree with.  Email’s impending death has been written about ad nauseum, and never seems to come.

Email has been, and in my opinion will continue to be, the dominant online communication medium of choice.  Here is Elie’s post:

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Gerry Storch, former night news, sports and business editor of USA Today, and now editor of a new combination of blog/book called Ourblook, recently interviewed me regarding social media, journalism and the future of online communication:

You work with corporate execs, politicians and other leaders in public speaking … what to say and how to say it. How do social media such as Facebook, Twitter, texting, etc. figure into this?

ME: Social media are an integral part of communicating today, and will evolve. The single biggest question I hear, whether from a political or business leader, centers on “I want to use social media like Obama.”

My first question: “What’s your message and why would someone who doesn’t know you, live in your district, or use your product care?” Herein lies the fundamental secret to effectively using social media to communicate as a legal, business, nonprofit, academic or political leader … just as in public speaking and presenting, you MUST have a clear, compelling message, or social media won’t work for you .. it just won’t be an effective medium.

My second question: “Do you have $750 million to spend?” That’s what the Obama campaign spent, very effectively, to spread its message. It wasn’t a Twitter and FB page put up in a vacuum; there were thousands of hours and millions of dollars behind creating an unbelievably successful social media program.

So my advice to leaders is the same advice I try to follow myself … put out fresh, compelling material, message it well, start with friends, customers, supporters, associates, etc. and slowly build a following. Make it easy to connect to you via your web site.  If you are running for office, put your social media info on your material … if a company owner, on your product packaging and advertising. Remember, social media complement what you do face to face, they do not replace it.

By extension, do you foresee much impact from social media in major news operations such as newspapers and TV news, or in the future of journalism generally?ME: I do, although I disagree with a number of my colleagues in that I believe major news operations will always have a fairly prominent place in our society. Major media bring legitimacy to a story, and that won’t change. What will change is reaction. Everyone has an opportunity, a real opportunity, to voice an opinion and express it in a very public way. However, mainstream media still matter.

Why? Sheer reach. Mainstream media still reach more individuals than any other single medium. So when a major national daily (the New York Times, Wall Street Journal , USA Today) runs an eye grabbing headline, the public pays attention. Statistics indicate that the reality is that for every five people who read a headline, on average only one reads the actual story and content.

The reality is that a political campaign will use a positive headline in a major daily in paid broadcast advertising over an endorsement from my blog, or any one of the millions of bloggers out there. The difference now is that a candidate’s “blogging army” of 2 or 20 or 200 can relentlessly comment, post and generate their own content and get it listed on Google news, Yahoo, Bing, etc.

Of the various social media, do you see any one in particular as having the greatest potential on the media or generally in society? Any that will fade?ME: I speak quite a bit in high schools and colleges, and when asked who tweets, uses Facebook, e-mails and texts, texting is always the hands-down winner both in popularity and number of students involved. Most use Facebook, and most use e-mail. Why does this matter? This is the generation that has literally grown up with the web, and I believe that their preferences will, to a large degree, determine what succeeds and what fades going forward.

I believe Facebook will have a long and prosperous life because it helps us connect to those we know and interact on a somewhat deeper level with acquaintances. Communication is not an announcement, it is a discussion. Facebook provides for that. Twitter does, too … however FB is much more personal and much more conversationally focused, and I believe those two traits really, really matter. The recent Twitter study saying that 10 percent of users account for over 90 percent of tweets is telling.

 Do social media represent a dumbing down of America , a liberation of new possibilities, or both, or neither?ME: I believe they allow us to enter into conversations with people we might never have met, and find people who share common interests with us.

As with anything, I think there is a tendency to overgeneralize the effect of social media. Pick a position, yea or nay, pick a social media topic, and there are countless statistics either confirming or questioning the validity of that position. As an aside, I see this regularly with a statistic that is commonly referenced when discussing communication … the “7 percent, 38 percent, 55 percent rule.”

Prof. Mehrabian released a study nearly 40 years ago, and among the conclusions was that when determining the meaning of a message, 55 percent was based on body (or facial) language, 38 percent based on tone of voice, and only 7 percent based on words. Very powerful, and this is cited ad nauseam as “proof” that the words you use are not that critical. All well and good except for the fact that the statistics are taken out of context. Prof. Mehrabian was studying a very specific communication experience. Unfortunately, many people have assumed that words don’t matter.

What does this have to do with your question? As with anything, I don’t think there is a definitive answer … it depends on the individual and how he or she chooses to use social media.
Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summit complained that players on the team bus were texting each other rather than speaking face to face. Your reaction?ME: Reality. I think this is one of the drawbacks of social media … when they are used to replace face to face communication rather than complement it when face to face communication is not possible. Being able to relate and communicate with another individual face to face will, more often than not, determine your ability to succeed.

What do I mean? You will rarely be awarded a raise via e-mail, win a congressional seat on Facebook alone, become CEO via a text message or acquire a company or major funding over a tweet. VC’s and bankers will always want to meet with you, as will a corporate board, voters, etc. Social media can certainly be extremely beneficial to all of these … however, face to face communication will always be crucial.

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Breaking news….If you are a startup pursuing funding, you have more in common with a politician or athlete caught behaving badly then you might think. 

A politician caught misbehaving, an athlete photographed doing something he or she shouldn’t be doing, or a celebrity who finds that one heated moment has turned into tabloid fodder for weeks on end all have one thing in common – how they communicate will likely determine whether the incident is a speed bump or a career ender.

So what does this have to do with entrepreneurs pursuing VC funding? Everything!

Crisis communications is usually identified as the effort to protect and defend an individual, organization or corporation’s reputation when crisis strikes and public confidence in the individual or organization is shaken or thrown into question.

Entrepreneurs often face the same situation every day while trying to raise capital.  The crisis is always the same – a lack of funding puts the entire startup in danger – no funding, no operating budget, key personnel pack up and head for greener pastures, and the startup is in a lot of trouble (to say the least).  So what is a startup to do? Pitch (communicate with) VC’s to raise the capital to end the crisis – crisis communications!

 “Crisis” Communications Lessons for Entrepreneurs

 1.  Have a Central Message – The images are very clear…the “repentant” politician standing at the dais, wife at this side, as he stumbles through a very awkward and very longwinded statement that says twenty different things, which means he has said — Nothing!

The value of having a message can not be overstated.  As I said in an earlier column, if you are pursuing funding, you must be able to identify how you will deliver a return on that investment, profits, and you must be able to do this in a manner that is clear, consistent, and easy to comprehend – remember, you are asking people to invest at a time when investing, no matter the size of the VC firm, is a scary thing to do. Why should the VC invest in your company? The risk to the VC is obvious, and the potential reward may or may not be as well.  What mitigates that risk and gets the company across the finish line?

 2.  It is not about YOU – The athlete accused of using banned substances often forgets that it is not about him – it is about the fan that has placed his or her trust in loyalty in the athlete and now feels betrayed. The point of view the athlete takes often determines whether he is forgiven or the loyalty is gone forever.

 As much as your pitch may be about your company, it really isn’t – it is about the VC that you’re are pitching too, his or her investment, and what that investment in your company will mean to the VC in terms of opportunity cost, time, energy, effort and ultimately the ROI. 

 3.  Be Open – Like investigative reporters, VC’s are (usually) very adept at plying their trade, and that means that, when crisis strikes (or you need funding), just like the reporter, the VC will probably know what the hot button issues are and where to look.  Be open – hiding information, trying to gloss over or bury a problem will do more harm than good.  If there is bad news, it will get out – get it out on your terms. What you don’t say says a lot.

 4.  Body Language Matters – An apology given with a smirk, or with arms crossed and a hostile look (don’t laugh, I’ve seen it) is always recognized, and the result is never good.  In that same vein, looking down the entire pitch, speaking toward your shoes, shuffling in your pockets, fidgeting, bouncing back and forth on each foot (very common) always sends a message.  Is body language the major difference maker for a pitch – of course not.  Does it matter – of course it does – it sends a message.

5.  Words Matter – When a major crisis strikes a Fortune 50 company, every word uttered by the CEO and/or spokesperson is analyzed – every word, the choice of language, terminology is a potential landmine, as a poor choice of words could be a devastating blow to a leader (see Big 3 testimony a year ago).  When pitching a VC, think about it – you are asking for millions of dollars – do you think your word choice might matter?

6.  Practice and Prepare – I can not overstate the importance of practicing and preparing.  The road of busted startups is littered with great ideas and great leaders who failed to prepare for the pitch and didn’t receive the funding.

7.  Every “Crisis” is an Opportunity – Every crisis provides an opportunity to for a leader to show his or her true character, and can sometimes lead to that leader becoming even more popular going forward, based on how the crisis was handled.  Every pitch affords an entrepreneur to do the same.

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“People who are carrying out such heinous crimes, they want to shake our resolve. And I want to address them.

We will not buckle.

We will fight you.

We will fight you because we want stability and peace in Pakistan.

You are on the run, and we know that.

We defeated you in Swat and Malakand. And the brave soldiers and officers of the Pakistan army will defeat you in Waziristan.

You think by attacking innocent people and lives, you will shake our determination?

No, sir, you will not. We will be more determined to fight you and defeat you for our own reasons, because we have a vision for Pakistan, and that vision does not fall in line with what you stand for.”

- Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi

Earlier this morning, hours after the Pakistani government announced bounties on the top 21 Taliban leaders, dead or alive, a suicide bomber has left at least 30 people dead and 45 wounded.  This comes on the heels of last week’s car bomb which ripped through Preshawar, Pakistan, killing 90 civilians, immediately preceding a visit from Secretary Clinton. 

Watch the video above beginning at about the 1:04 mark.  A few words come to mind when watching Qureshi: strength, resolve, power, anger and determination.  That is a lot to convey in a very short speech.  What I really liked:

1.  Audience - While he was addressing the terrorists, Qureshi was well aware that his audience for this was global, and he made the most of the opportunity.

2. Pitch, Tone and Inflection – Leadership, resolve and determination with every word.

3. Facial Expression – I don’t have the full clip yet, but even in this shortened version you can see the seriousness in his face

4. Message - Excellent. This was a message that clearly sent a message, to the terrorists and the world. Well done.

Areas for improvement: Too many verbal “tics”, a bit to quick in some spots, too little movement and too much grasping both ends of the podium. 

Shah Mehmood Qureshi has been Pakistan’s Foreign Minister for the past year and a half, and it has not been an easy go.  The challenges facing Pakistan are great, as are the internal and external threats the nation faces.  Strong leadership and presence will be essential to seeing Pakistan through this period of time.

That being said, I have had the opportunity to witness Minister Qureshi on a number of occasions and his presence and oratorical skills improve every time.    Stay tuned…

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There is a saying in boxing that holds true for public speaking – “Styles Make Fights.”  Styles also make presentations, speeches and media appearances – every person is unique and every person has a unique style, something that works for them. 

This is why I have always felt that the idea that you can become a great orator after reading a book on public speaking is like being prepared to go on the Tour de France after reading a book on bicycling– not really possible.

I have worked with speakers in situations where every “traditional” rule” for media training and public speaking gets thrown out the window because it DOESN’T WORK FOR THEM.  Every person is an individual, with individual strengths and weaknesses.  The key is identifying characteristics and techniques that work for that particular individual – just like snowflakes, no two styles are identical.

This video illustrates a lot of what’s wrong with trying to use the same techniques or claiming that certain “techniques” or “styles” will work for everybody – not to mention to illustrating a lot of what is wrong with commentary on television today – not once was the idea of having any type of message (the key to it all) mentioned. 

If you are loud, antagonistic, energized, attacking and use powerful words you are an ideal pundit?

No wonder punditry, and all too often public relations and media training, have been given a bad name – at no point in this video is there any mention of Having Something Meaningful to Say.

Make no mistake, having something meaningful for the audience – a message – is crucial.  With regard to style, when speaking before an audience– either before your Rotary Club or on CBS – one size does not fit all!

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Developing and communicating an effective message is not easy. That being said, I have always found three questions to be extremely useful in the identification and development of a message:

1. What am I/are we trying to accomplish?

2. Who cares? (Who is my/our audience?)

3. Why should they/do they care?

Answer those three questions and while you won’t have the complete message, but you will be well on your way to developing an effective message.  

What is the biggest danger to any message? ( I would call it “message kryptonite”)

Confusion. If the message you send is confusing, mixed, is contradictory or even worse hypocritical (do as I say not as I do) your message is doomed.

The number one or two issue in Washington this week?  Healthcare reform. 

From a message development perspective, “Legislative Washington” is trying to garner support for healthcare reform (What are you trying to accomplish?); every American is the audience (Who cares?); because we want ourselves, our families, our friends and our neighbors to live long, healthy prosperous lives(with the hope that you will weigh in with your elected representative (Why should we care?);

After years of established medical protocol, in one week women have been informed that a) mammogram screening does not have to occur until age 50 b) cervical cancer screenings should occur less often and begin later and c) that pap smears don’t need to begin until age 21. 

I can tell you that as a grandson, son, brother, husband and uncle, all of this has led to one thing — confusion, and lots of it.  Where were the major press conferences to fully explain what this meant?  The websites so that any woman, regardless of age or education level, could understand what this meant, and why it happened now?  The simple, concrete, compelling message that anyone and everyone could understand?

At the same time, H1N1 (or swine flu) now shows signs that it may have peaked.  This is good news, and hopefully true, because after every American had been told about the dangers of H1N1, every American was then informed that there wasn’t enough vaccine to go around.   Another messaging disaster.

There is a major disconnect in Washington today, and it all boils down to poor message development. Sad.

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This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible. – www.tigerwoods.com

Tiger Woods is right.  False, unfounded and malicious rumors are wrong, period.  However, when innocent until proven guilty may exist in the courtroom, in the living room the opposite often holds true.

This incident has been stressful and very difficult for Elin, our family and me. I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have received. But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be. – www.tigerwoods.com

Here is where Tiger is wrong.   He is paid tens of millions not for playing golf, but for endorsing products to the public.  At that point, once you are making your living from using your public image to sell products to the public rights to privacy diminish. 

Do you have to answer questions? No.  Is it in your best interest to answer questions? Yes. 

One thing to remember — the public allows a professional athlete, entertainer, celebrity, politician etc. the right to promote  products or ideas to the masses – no public figure is given that right by anyone but the people who vote for them, either via dollars (products) or literal votes.  This means that the public does has the right to know if a professional athlete plans on continuing to make a living promoting products to them.

So what should Tiger do now? Tiger needs to recognize his audience — his audience isn’t me, it’s his millions of fans.  Those fans are feeling hurt, angry, betrayed, and a good number of them want to defend Tiger. This code of silence hurts them more than it hurts anyone else.  So Tiger:

1.  Remember your audience – Give your fans something to defend you with.

2.  Have a Message – Saying nothing is a very clear message, and not the one you want.

3. Press Conference/Video Blog – Your fans need to see you – statements alone don’t cut it.

4. Make a public appearance – show up at Chevron World Classic, even if you don’t play

5. Again, Remember your Audience — You might think that the rest of the public, the media and the tabloids are your audience, but this is not who you are hurting by failing to speak.  Address the rumors head on. Be 100% truthful, no matter what. The story begins to ends once you speak, as your fans will be able to rally around you.

Will this work?  It will certainly work better than the strategy that has been undertaken so far.

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Define yourself before your opponent, or anyone else defines you (and if you don’t define yourself first, someone WILL take the opportunity to define you).

Whether you are campaigning for elective office, to get/keep the public trust, to get promoted, to get a job, to keep your job – it is paramount to define yourself before anyone else does.  How do you define yourself? Messaging.

President Obama understood this.  He was the candidate of “hope and change.”  The definitions his opponents provided – inexperienced, poor judge of character, lack of foreign policy experience - did not stick. Why? He defined himself first, and relentlessly stayed on message.  He also addressed every potential crisis during the campaign head on.  We all know what happened – candidate Obama became President Obama.

Tiger Woods defined himself early on in his career, very successfully.  The past few weeks have unraveled all of that.  He is now defined by nearly everyone but himself on an hourly basis, and the definitions are not only sticking but have taken on a life of their own – and people are paying attention. 

911 calls, 11 potential mistresses and counting (literally), unprotected sex with mistresses, allegations of drug abuse, wife moves out, numerous colleagues now alleging that this was not new behavior, and the list goes on and on. 

Tiger’s response?  You just heard it – nothing.  No mention of anything on www.tigerwoods.com, no response at all. In my personal opinion, a lot of the damage that has been done to brand Tiger Woods is irreversible.

Why?  In our society, lack of response or comment is usually taken as an admission of guilt. A week after the crisis began, with no response from Tiger, cracks in the empire are showing – sponsors are leaving, advertisements are getting pulled, etc. 

Ronn Torossian, owner of 5WPR and the top crisis manager I know, has managed crises for countless celebrities, many of who have faced similar trials and tribulations in the public eye.  His advice on this is absolutely spot on:

“…There’s no excuse the behavior that led to Tiger’s predicament, but the still-expanding fallout from his mishandling of these events provides lessons to celebrities, companies and anyone else who suddenly finds themselves at the center of a crisis.

Here are my top three crisis management rules:

Rule No. 1: Come clean and come clean quick. Instead of accepting his role in the spotlight and addressing the facts head on, Tiger ran for cover hoping it would all go away. But the fastest road to redemption in the public’s eye is an early and honest mea culpa.

That’s what Alex Rodriguez did earlier this year, when he stood in front of his teammates and the media and addressed his alleged steroid use head on. While certainly not an easy statement to make, it undeniably saved A-Rod’s career from taking the Barry Bonds route, and served as a launching pad for the best season of his career and praise from many of his former critics.

Rule No. 2: Keep your message consistent. As Bill Clinton can attest, the truth eventually comes out. So be clear, be honest and keep the story consistent. When similar allegations arose regarding David Letterman and young staff members, Letterman immediately took to the airwaves, admitted his wrongdoings and the circumstances surrounding them, and saw no ill effect in his ratings.

In contrast, Tiger’s only message for nearly five days after the accident was silence. And while he did eventually admit to his “transgressions,” his promise to “strive to be a better person and the husband and father that [his] family deserves” seemed to ring hollow as information surfaced regarding a renegotiation of his prenup in an effort to keep the family together.

Rule No. 3: Leave no gray area. From the moment reports of the accident happened, the only color surrounding the facts was gray. How did Tiger sustain the injuries he did in such a slow-moving, low-impact crash? Was his wife chasing him with a golf club? Was he impaired? And so on until another round of questions surfaced regarding alleged romps with various women. Tiger then made his brief admission of guilt but still failed to explain how the accident happened, why he was reportedly snoring on the ground as the family waited for an ambulance, etc.”

I will add one final rule – after doing all of this, go away. Disappear from the public eye.  There is no way to “come back” if you have never “gone away.”

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*Pardon the joke, and I believe that this Tiger can still resurrect his career.

Even a gas leak at his home is newsworthy!

It is impossible to escape the nonstop headlines, blog posts and breaking cable news stories about Tiger Woods and his alleged dalliances.  Every day (often every hour) brings new allegations, rumors, stories and general drama. 

From a crisis management standpoint, I believe that this week has been Tiger’s best.  Why?

He finally did two things he needed to do: come clean, especially with his core audience (supporters) and go away.  With his statements on www.tigerwoods.com, Tiger has given his fans and supporters the ability to begin to rally behind him.

Tiger also has decided to go away.  This is a crucial and I believe is the key to a successful comeback, if he in fact has one.   You can not re-emerge unless you go away, and by removing himself from professional golf, he has certainly gone away.

That being said, both coming clean would have been much more effective 21 days ago.  There are also a number of steps that Tiger needs to take in between coming clean and going away:

1. Speaking publicly – It doesn’t have to be an interview or a press conference; even a taped video on TW.com is better than nothing; Your fans need to see, hear and visually “touch” you;  The importance of a visual medium can not be understated.

2. Have a Message and live it - You have the beginning of one – “I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father and person”; now the trick is to consistently display it – America loves a comeback – start doing things that reinforce that message, even while out of the public eye.

3. Communicate with your audience – I didn’t say the public, I said your audience.  The vehicle, even while out of the public spotlight, is your website and your email database. 

4. Get out of the cocoon – You need advisors, and not only those who tell you what you want to hear. Get them. Pronto.

One final note – the mishandling of the crisis from the onset and the subsequent damage that has occurred can not be minimized.  While I believe Tiger can still come back and “Brand Tiger” can still be resurrected, the road to get there has more potholes and red lights than it would have if addresses properly in the beginning.

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There is no way to “come back” if you don’t “go away.”  

When a public figure emerges from a crisis or scandal, it is imperative to disappear from the public spotlight for a while. 

For more proof, look no further than former President George W. Bush.  In October 2008, within a month of the end of his Presidency, President Bush had an approval rating of 25% as reporter by Gallup.  Twenty-five percent — “only three percentage points above the lowest presidential approval rating in Gallup Poll history.”

So what did President Bush do publicly since leaving office?  Not much.  Two semi-public speeches.  That’s about it.  He was the subject of an entire Presidential campaign, has been the subject of well over 10 books, and is still mentioned in the press fairly regularly (not in a positive light).

No public appearances or defenses, more negative publicity equals…

According to Gallup last week, it equals 44% of those polled would prefer to have ex-President Bush back in office. Why? 

A number of reasons, including a number of opinions about the ex-President that have changed in the past year. Why?

He went away. As the proverb says “Time heals all wounds.” (maybe not all, but at least some)

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“What we’ve got here is failure to communicate – some men you just can’t reach…” – Strother Martin as ”The Captain” – Cool Hand Luke

The attempted bombing of a Northwest Airlines Flight 253 has shaken our collective confidence in national security, and communication or the lack of communication is once again a central issue.

Retired Army Colonel Ken Allard has written a must-read piece entitled Terror Deja-Vu, which centers on communication failures and the resulting damage:

“When I was in the military, we called the problem “inter-operability” or “stovepipes.” At business school, they’re called “silos.” In plain English, when bureaucracies don’t effectively talk to each other, as we saw over the skies of Detroit on Christmas Day and the killing grounds of Fort Hood last month, trouble—and, often, death—follow.

This was supposed to have changed after the 9/11 attacks, when roadblocks on the information highway killed hundreds of police, firefighters and first responders at the Twin Towers. Yet here we are eight years later and, maddeningly, warnings about a Nigerian engineering student hell-bent on a path of Islamist fanaticism were enough to place his name on a watch list, but not enough to prevent him from boarding a plane. And solid information that an Army psychiatrist at Fort Hood was in continuing contact with a radical Islamist cleric did not prompt preemptive action by his chain of command.”

This was followed by Department of Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano first stating that “the system worked”, and quickly reversed course the following day stating that “What I would say is that the system did not work in this instance...”  This is a shining example of why messaging matters.

On top of this comes intense criticism of President Obama for first not speaking publicly about the Christmas Day attack until the following Monday.  This was followed by Tuesday’s comments (with a marked change of tone) that “…a systemic failure has occurred.”  

The President was on vacation in Hawaii when the attack occurred.  This, coupled with his lack of public comment over the weekend, sent a message as well – not one I believe the President intended to send.   This has allowed critics to successfully pounce– once again, politics 101 – define yourself before your opponent has the opportunity to do so.

So now we sit, at the end of a decade, a decade marked, politically, in many ways by the Captain’s comments – “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate…”  

Failure to communicate effectively plagued the last Presidency, hurt two Presidential campaigns (McCain, Kerry), and in some ways led to a Congressional turnover, a financial disaster, and a societal disaster (the response to Hurricane Katrina).

This is why effective communication is like breathing – crucial.  

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The New York Post reported today that John Liu, New York City’s newly elected Comptroller, has instituted a new policy…..drum roll please….and the new policy is:

“New York City’s new comptroller, John Liu, has ordered his staff to rise whenever he enters the room and to address him as “Mr. Comptroller.”

The New York City Comptroller’s mission:

“The mission of the office is to ensure the financial health of New York City by advising the Mayor, the City Council, and the public of the City’s financial condition.”

Wow. 

Business and political bookshelves are filled with examples of leaders who do everything to fit in, who talk about the importance of “team,” who pick up garbage when they pass it and who proudly describe no task, regardless of how menial, being beneath them.

I have had the opportunity to work with myriad elected officials over the years, a few who took the actual title (what he or she was called) very seriously, and most who took the job a lot more seriously than the title.  One group includes men and women who were beloved long after they left office, and the other group (the “title” group) does not. 

In this day and age, when people are hurting, incumbents are vilified and being a man or woman of the people is what’s in (watch C-SPAN for any random 5 minutes, listen to a speech or testimony and you will see what I mean), I am not sure what message Mr. Liu is trying to send.  

I am quite sure about the message that the general public has received.

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Breaking news….Social media is in fact….Social!

Social Media outlets are not diaries, confidants or private/confidential conversations. The reality is that now, more than ever, social media conversations are public, or at the very least semi-public.

Whether “friends, followers or connections” the reality is that every day more and more of what you post is available via search.  More importantly, even without search, what you post can leave your immediate universe of friends and followers, and in some cases, even go viral.

Who cares? You should, especially if a friend, follower or connection becomes a foe, gets annoyed with you, or just decides that something you wrote is so interesting, ingenious (controversial, embarrassing) that they just have to share it with a friend who is not your friend. 

Below are examples of some gems that have been circulating around the web — all examples and further reminders of why you should read, re-read, and then read once more before you hit send, share or tell Twitter “what’s happening.”

The following examples were sent over by my good friend Ed Kuhn (who just passed his P.E. exam – congratulations Ed!)  The language in some is a little rough, so consider yourself warned:

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Today we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., a leader, a visionary and a hero.

He was also one of the greatest communicators of the past century. Dr. King was always relentlessly on message, and always spoke with passion and energy.

This clip is important for a number of reasons.  It is the conclusion of his final speech, given at Mason Temple in Memphis on April 3rd — he was assassinated the next day.

He was speaking in support of the striking sanitation workers in Memphis, however as was usually the case when Dr. King spoke, his message was consistent regardless of who he was addressing, and he was always on message.

The sheer energy that this clip contains is unbelievable. One can feel the power through the small clip on a computer — imagine the energy that must have been in the room that day in Memphis!

Dr. King’s use of tempo, inflection and pause during this speech are masterful. It is not possible to sleep through this speech. It was not possible to drift away into another thought if you were watching. It is not possible to walk away indifferent after hearing this speech.

How many times have you witnessed presenters or speakers fail to make eye contact, speak in a monotone or rush through each thought? How often have you walked away from a presentation unable to remember hours later what the speaker said? How many times have you witnessed a speaker that had absolutely no energy or passion, and seemed to be going through the motions?

The notion that it is better to say something than to say nothing is just false.  If you don’t believe in what you are saying, you are better off saying nothing.

If you think that you can fool an audience, think again.

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Man, I wish it was that easy.  I speak publicly often, and I still get nervous prior to every speech or presentation. Every single one.

That being said, I’m in pretty good company — it has been noted that Sir Winston Churchill and President Lincoln also got quite anxious prior to speaking publicly.

Unfortunately, no matter how many books, courses, DVDs, websites or snake oil salesmen promise to “cure” you of your fear of public speaking, it is never that simple, or that easy.  That being said, there are a number of techniques, strategies and tactics to use to alleviate the fear and anxiety that come calling prior to speaking publicly.

Tips and Tactics, Pt.I :

1. Prepare. Prepare. Prepare - Simply put, the more you prepare and the better handle you have on the material you are presenting, the better it will go.
2. Practice. Practice. Practice – Once you have prepared, you MUST practice, early and often.  Rumor has it that Churchill practiced for one hour per one minute of speech content he was delivering.  5 minute presentation = 5 hours practice.  How long are you practicing?
3. Check out/Read the room before – Familiarity breeds comfort; surprise the day of a presentation are no fun and ratchet up anxiety tenfold.
4. Remember – the audience is on your side- 9 times out of 10, the audience is rooting for you to succeed, not waiting for you to fall flat.
5. Breathing - My three favorite breathing techniques – 3 Deep Belly Breathes, Ujaia breathing, and the Alternate Nostril technique – more on each in a later post
6. Listen to Music – Watch a boxing or MMA competition; watch Kobe or LeBron prior to getting on the court – always listening to music, getting in the zone, eliminating outside distraction and chasing away anxiety and negative thoughts — it works prior to public speaking as well (I do this each and every time)
7. Remember – You are always more nervous than you look – ALWAYS!

Stay tuned for Pt. II…

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Toyota is learning a lesson that numerous companies have learned the hard way – when a crisis strikes, and the media comes a knockin’, answer the door or suffer the consequences.

Toyota may be an international powerhouse, however at the same time it is a family-based brand, the family being the Toyoda family.  Akio Toyoda is the President, and his father Dr. Shoichiro Toyoda, is the Honorary Chairman.

This crisis struck what seems like a lifetime ago in terms of media cycles, and every day, this crisis brings more and more news, none of which is good.

Toyota is doing very little to stem the tide.  Toyota’s head of U.S. Operations, Jim Lentz, tried to address the issues on The Today Show, but the reality is no matter what Mr. Lentz said, it would not have solved the problem.  Why?

The company is not branded as Lentz Motor Sales — in all fairness to Mr. Lentz, customers, the press and the public want to hear from a member of the Toyoda family.  So far, the only comments issued by the family were statements Akio Toyoda made at Davos at the end of last week :

“We’re extremely sorry to have made customers feel uneasy. Right now, we are trying to establish the facts and preparing for giving an explanation so anxiety among customers would be removed as soon as possible.”

Not very convincing or illustrative of any emotion.

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