A Simple Idea that Works Every Time

April 17, 2007 by Dr. Michael Hudson · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Communicate Clearly

Today begins with a heavy heart for those of us with ties to Virginia Tech. Our prayers go out to the families of the victims and to those who are struggling to make sense of such a senseless act as they witnessed yesterday. No words can explain, no rants can remove the pain, and no second guessing can change the reality. It is a truly tragic situation and one that no one could have foreseen or prevented, despite our wishes otherwise.

As I think about the tragedy and look for lessons, one comes through clearly as something we all need to remember…the power and magic of the word help.

At a times like this the people in, around, and connected to Virginia Tech need our help….to help them understand why bad things happen to good people, to help them find ways to heal their wounds, both physical and emotional, and to help them move beyond the horrors of yesterday toward a tomorrow that will forever be changed for all of them.

And the best that any of us can do is to respond to this silent call for help in whatever way we can…reaching out to those we know and lending an ear to listen as they work through their fear and grief, pausing to send our prayers and support to those who must now move ahead through what will surely be difficult weeks and months, and taking action in whatever way we feel is appropriate to help those not connected understand the situation from all sides.

I can’t help but believe that if the person or persons involved in this tragic situation had asked for help, it would not have happened. Perhaps if someone had reached out and given help, the outcome would have been different. Perhaps if we all sought to help without being asked, the world would become a better place…its a simple idea that works every time…asking for help when you need it and giving help when someone else needs it, whether they are able to ask or not.

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Four Simple Rules

April 13, 2007 by Dr. Michael Hudson · 1 Comment
Filed under: Communicate Clearly

Recently I’ve had the pleasure to meet and interact with renowned copywriter David Garfinkle. David is founder of the World-Copy-Writing-Institute. He’s a brilliantly creative, engaging man whose knowledge about business growth goes much deeper than copywriting.

But David also knows a great deal about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to copy. And he knows the power of learning from others.

In that spirit, I share the core message from his March 2005 blogpost on “Four Copywriting Rules That Can Improve Just About Any CopyWriter’s Work.”

Here are the four rules...from Ernest Hemingway’s first style sheet:

1. Use short sentences.

2. Use short paragraphs.

3. Use vigorous English.

4. Be positive, not negative.

Enough said.

Action step: Keep these rules posted when you write, and watch your effectiveness increase.

P.S. Visit this link to have every new post from David’s blog delivered to your inbox:

http://world-copywriting-institute.typepad.com/

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Get Back in the Box!

April 12, 2007 by Dr. Michael Hudson · 2 Comments
Filed under: Communicate Clearly, Generate Ideas, Think Strategically

OK, everyone who is tired of being told to “think outside the box,” please raise your hands.

WOW…that is a lot of hands, but its no wonder…this shorthand phrase seems to dominate discussions of creativity, innovation, and ideas. Its used by facilitators to encourage people to reach beyond their comfort zones in brainstorming sessions, its used by leaders who want their teams to discover new ways to produce results, and its used by outside of the box thinkers to try and get people to understand their sometimes off-the-wall ideas.

But like many other phrases, it has been overused to the point where it often becomes merely a comment that is part of the script, instead of an exultation to actually think in new ways.

Today I would like to put a slightly different spin on the question of out of the box thinking by imploring everyone to get back in the box!!

My logic is straightforward and simple. Before anyone can actually escape a place where they are trapped (the box), they need to know where its boundaries lie, they need to know what it will look like when they are outside, and they need to have a clear context of the limitations that are being posed by remaining where they are at the moment.

And that, my friends, is the problem with telling people to think outside of the box…most of us don’t know what the box even looks like, so it is difficult, if not impossible, to get out of it!

The solution?

Before engaging your team in getting out of the box and thinking differently, take time to clearly define the box you are currently residing within. In other words, what is your current state?

You can begin this process by reviewing some basic questions that every business needs to answer…

What is your reason for existence…your mission, your vision, your values?
How do you currently define success…measures used to distinguish good performance from poor performance?
What limits are currently in place…real or perceived boundaries that define what will and won’t be done?
What is unique or distinctive about where you are today…specific reasons why you are better than the competition in one or more specific ways?
Where are you heading at the moment…if nothing changes, where will you be in the future?

Armed with clear responses to these questions, you can describe your current box…which is the first step that must be taken before you can get your team to think outside of the box.

So take action today…define your box and get back in it BEFORE you try to get out of it. You’ll create more powerful solutions because you are working from a common point of departure, and you’ll find a great deal of potential that lies within the current box that people were not seeing because they did not clearly understand where they were in the first place!

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A Matter of Congruity

March 23, 2007 by Dr. Michael Hudson · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Communicate Clearly, Lead People, Take Action, Think Strategically

Words like character, honor, integrity, honesty, and trust are used to describe it. But no matter how you refer to it, you no doubt realize its importance: If people cannot count on you to do the things you say you will do, to live up to your promises, and to interact with them in an honest and forthright manner, they will quickly move away; and they will seldom be silent.

That is the essence of congruity. It is not found in the words you say, but it is demonstrated in the actions you take. Because as Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “Who you are speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you’re saying.”

Across the past few weeks the subject of congruity has surfaced in my observations, conversations, and interactions in a way that has illustrated the sharp contrasts between those who are congruent and those who aren’t.

Let me briefly illustrate.

Recently I was watching a speaker at a conference and sensing that the message didn’t match the man. It was more than a gut feel, it was something almost tangible…gaps in the stories that didn’t ring true when taken as a whole, an insincerity and lack of respect for the audience that was almost palpable, and an obvious mismatch of actions off-stage versus actions on-stage.

I should note that though this speaker is not a personal acquaintance, his work is very familiar to me…it is often held up as an example of success in his industry, and chances are that if I shared his name you would recognize it. But without any prompting on my part in the weeks since hearing him speak, no fewer than six people have mentioned his name to me, and in every case it has been to share something that confirms my impression and heightens my concern.

One person strongly cautioned me about engaging in any type of business relationship with him. Two others shared their observations regarding the lack of congruity between the person he is off-stage and the person he is on-stage. The next noted his obvious lack of respect for the people he serves, and the last two identified specific personal experiences where his business dealings have been less than honest.

In stark contrast, during this same time period, there is another person with whom I have interacted who is clearly at the opposite end of the spectrum with regard to congruity. He is one who walks his talk, who is the same person on-stage that he is off-stage, and who is spoken highly of by everyone who mentions his name.

Which one of these men do you think will achieve more success and have more impact in the long term? And more important, which one are you becoming more like each day?

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Words Can Reframe Your Thinking

March 22, 2007 by Dr. Michael Hudson · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Communicate Clearly, Generate Ideas

Over the weekend I had the privilege of being part of an experience called Genimation (www.Genimation.com). Developed by Bob Smith and his team, this business planning process brings together genesis and imagination to create powerful outcomes.

Our focus for the weekend was Rick Raddatz’s company, Xiosoft, Inc. Rick is the creator of some great tools for adding audio and video to websites, and for developing marketing sites to build databases. He is about to roll out a number of new products and brought a team together to participate in a Genimation process to define a vision for the future of Xiosoft.

One of the most valuable lessons that I walked away from the experience with was being reminded of how our words frame our thinking…and how powerful it is to make small changes in words to reframe the way we look at the questions we are examining.

Here’s the essence of the lesson…

Most brainstorming sessions focus on defining a list of alternatives, narrowing it, and then going deeper by considering the pros and cons or advantages and disadvantages of each of the short list alternatives.

The Genimation process uses this same core concept, but with a unique and amazingly powerful twist…instead of considering pros/cons (or advantages/disadvantages), the questions are reframed in this way:

To look at the positive side of each option, you answer the simple question: What do you like about this alternative?

To consider the negatives or areas of concern, you first identify the concern in your mind and then preface it with the words “How to.” For example, if your concern was that the alternative would cost too much, you would state it as “How to cover the costs” or perhaps “How to finance it.”

Though it may seem trivial when you read it, trust me, this reframing changes everything. If you don’t believe me, sit down with a group of people and brainstorm a solution for a problem you are facing using this approach.

Chances are you’ll see consensus emerge more quickly, you’ll focus in on the important issues, instead of the trivial ones, and the process will be less contentious and stressful.

Try it…it really works!

NOTE: I strongly recommend the tools that Rick offers and encourage you to mark your calendar for May 1st when Xiosoft will be releasing an awesome new product that I had the chance to preview this weekend. Just visit this website to reserve your spot for the release:

http://May1st2007.com/?x=1094027

Trust me, you want to take advantage of this opportunity if you are serious about growing your business and leveraging the internet as a tool.

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Why No One is Listening

March 20, 2007 by Dr. Michael Hudson · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Communicate Clearly

Someone asked me the other day about the types of problems that I help my clients solve. As I answered she observed that they all seemed to relate to communication.

You know what? She was exactly right.

Virtually every problem that I have ever seen that is limiting the effectiveness of a leader or slowing the growth of a business, can in one way or another be tied to a communication gap of some kind.

Either what is being said is not being heard, what is being said is not clearly understood, or someone is not giving input that would clarify the situation. At least these are the most common things that I see.

And you know what? It is not all that surprising when you consider the state of over-communication in which we live.

Think about it.

If you watch a prime time television show they tell you what is coming over and over again. The commercials between episodes reveal the key moments of the show with enough clarity that you can miss several episodes and not even know it.

The same thing happens in airports…you sit in a gate area and hear at least 3-5 ‘last and final’ calls for boarding a plane.

And in advertisements of all kinds where you are reminded of the same message multiple times in the same ad, and many more when you see, hear, or watch the ad again.

My point?

Is it any wonder that communication is a problem with so many messages to process and so much redundancy in the messages?

So what can you do?

First, listen carefully to your self talk and your day-to-day communications…are your messages clear and to the point, or are they rambling and unfocused?

Second, take a look at how you communicate with your customers and your employees…are there places where you can reduce the redundancy and increase the clarity?

Third, learn to use checking questions where you confirm that the other person understands the message you are sending…ask them what they heard and what else they need to know to achieve the desired result?

Finally, examine the messages that you are sending to your customers…do they help them use your products or services effectively, or are they over-communicating and confusing?

Speaking of which…let me stop over-communicating here and let you proceed with your action steps!

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