Going Stupid!

“How many times will you repeat your morning routine?
Your drive to Work? Your walk into a conference room?
Your meetings, reports, e-mails…
Is it any wonder that sometimes you “Go a Little Stupid”…
and simply float away?”
—J. R. StJohn

It can’t have escaped your attention that sometimes “People go Stupid.” They seem to go off on a “mental walkabout” and lose track of their responsibilities, forget to turn off the burner, to pay the bills, brush their teeth, get the monthly reports done, or even get to work on time. It’s harder when the news brings reports of death and terror.

The question isn’t Whether “Zoning Out” will happen, but When…

It’s a problem — and if you’re a manager or a speaker, it’s your problem!

It seems “Insufficient Memory” applies both to human beings and computers! Too much, too many, too close. Insufficient RAM = System Overload!

That’s why we encourage you to communicate in small crunchy bites, in a few short bursts, with enough delivery “top spin” to make the ideas stick.

You’ve got enough on your mind already. Another presentation might just push you over the edge. So, do your part by cutting everything down to a bare minimum.

Then make your stuff stand out by adding a picture, a quote, a story, a prop or a demonstration… to get your idea beyond the screen and into the hands (and minds) of your listeners.

You can do it three ways:
Visually… A great picture.
Verbally… A great turn of phrase.
Kinesthetically… A prop, a sample or a demonstration.

Yes! All of these are simple. :-(

And Yes! Any of them would constitute a welcome change from the dreary norm and help people stay focused! :-)

• Bring highlighters so everyone can emphasize their questions about your report.
• Is there a gamble involved in this new Sales Strategy? Bring some dice to illustrate.
• Have we lost sight of the facts? Bring a squeegee to clear the windshield!

We’re all bored children at heart, going stupid out of repetition and tedium. Help us live through another day by making it interesting or (cheers) Fun!

Applications

1. For You
Most presentations are something less than exciting. You can change that for everyone, every time you speak. It takes just two interesting presentations to make an impact and get people to anticipate your next moment in the light. That’s the good news. Then you have to keep delivering! Something more. Something better. Something just a little more thoughtful. But always… Keep it simple and be the person everyone wants to hear.

2. For the Family
Good communication skills can make an education go smoothly, speed up the progress in athletics and clubs, and make a difference for everyone at home. Invest the time in the teaching of good communication and everything else goes along.

3. For the Office
Do a great presentation and people will remember. Do two, and you have a reputation. Being recognized as “The One” who always makes a point and makes it well, is the sort of thing that can make a career. But only if you put in the extra time to make sure that you’re shining whenever the light falls upon you.

These ideas are so obvious that they pass unnoticed by most professionals. But most of us “Go Stupid!” from time to time just because of the sheer repetitive overload our multi-faceted lives entail. We need help to wake up and Go Smart!

YOU can be that help!

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