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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Fachliteratur
- Sprache: Englisch
Critical communication lessons for sustained corporate success The Bullseye Principle is the definitive how-to guide for communicating, collaborating, and executing as a leader in the corporate arena. With these "soft skills" trending above technical knowledge in executive wish lists, this book provides invaluable guidance for new and experienced leaders alike; from the planning stages to the outcome and beyond, the discussion features critical insight and actionable tips based on award-winning methods. Polish your presence, utilize intention, influence emotion, engage workers, build relationships, make connections, and leverage the power of storytelling--it all comes down to technique. This book shows you everything you need to know to start communicating more effectively, starting today. The success of any communication rests more on how the information is conveyed than what that information actually is; at every level, in every sphere, effective leaders strive to master key skills that inspire, empower, motivate, and more. This book gives you a solid blueprint for effective communication in nearly any situation, merging the practical and theoretical to help you: * Master the most challenging business interactions * Become more influential as a leader and communicator * Adopt a 3-step methodology to collaborate more effectively * Build your personal brand and executive presence toward sustained success Most people believe that their communications skills are satisfactory for their jobs--most managers would disagree. That gap in perception presents a problem that ripples beyond your chances of promotion--where your communication fails, it has the capacity to affect the organization as a whole. The Bullseye Principle helps you build a robust repertoire of communication skills that put you ahead of the pack.
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CONTENTS
Cover
Praise for
The Bullseye Principle
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Introduction
Chapter 1: Hit Your Mark
The Legend of Phil Davison
Consequences of Poor Communication
The Persuasion Equation: Intention and Objective
The Pinnacle Method Three-Step Process
Chapter 2: Define Your Personal Brand
Branding
Defining Your Personal Brand
Creating a Personal Branding Statement
The Power of Executive Presence
Elements of Executive Presence
Chapter 3: Land the Job
Preparing for Your Interview
Nailing the Actual Interview
Chapter 4: Communicate Like a Leader
How Men and Women Lead Differently
Effective Leadership Communication
Leadership and Power
Styles of Leadership
Chapter 5: Inspire and Motivate Others
Understanding Employee Engagement
Leading a Team Through Change
Engaging Your Team Members
The Formula for the Perfect Pep Talk
Chapter 6: Build Relationships
Connecting with Others to Build a Network
Building Your Network
Chapter 7: Create a Memorable Narrative
Creating Heroes and Villains
Chapter 8: Handle Difficult Conversations
Managing Emotional Interactions
Handling Difficult Questions
Asking Effective Questions
Delivering Feedback Effectively
Receiving Feedback Effectively
Chapter 9: Run Killer Meetings
Five Different Types of Meetings
Part One: Pre-Meeting Preparation
Part Two: Facilitating the Actual Meeting
Part Three: Post Meeting Follow Up
Chapter 10: Make the Sale
Preparation Is Key
Get Comfortable Saying No
Choose Your Words Carefully
Putting It All Together
Glossary of Terms
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
About Pinnacle Perormance Company
Index
End User License Agreement
Guide
Cover
Table of Contents
Begin Reading
Chapter 1
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Praise for The Bullseye Principle
“Effective communication is vital to business success. It is the key to real leadership and it is necessary at all levels of any enterprise. The Bullseye Principle is an invaluable guide to successful communication.”
—Colin Stanbridge, CEO, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry
“A useful reminder for leaders and advisers of some key principles and practical approaches that will increase your impact within your organization and with your clients.”
—Michael Burke, CEO Talent, Rewards, Performance, Aon
“Great insights to engage and influence people who matter the most in the moment when it matters the most, and all I need to do is to bring my best self.”
—Arti Gusain, Group Leader, Leadership and Organizational Development Team, Infosys Leadership Institute
“The Bullseye Principle not only outlines simple tools and a 3–step process to help me connect with my audience, it also reinforces the importance of intentionality and authenticity.”
—Pat Wadors, Chief Talent Officer, ServiceNow
“Love it! The Bullseye Principle is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to be a more engaging and influential leader.”
—Kevin Kruse, Founder, LEADx.org and New York Times Bestselling Author
“The Bullseye Principle has empowered me to better command the attention of my audience, ensuring my message and my call to action are clearly understood.”
—Jim De Maria, former Executive Director of Communication, Chicago Blackhawks
“Yet another masterpiece by Lewis and Mills . . . enthralling and captivating.I recommend this book, especially to executives who want to make their mark.”
—Prachi Mishra, Learning & Development Head, Dassault India
“The Bullseye Principle deals with pragmatic communication strategies and tools. . .a good reference for leaders who aspire to lead transformations, persuade changes, and connect with an audience to deliver results.”
—Ajinth Sreedharan, Head of North America Learning and Development, Capgemini
“The stories we tell ourselves and others make or break an organization. Lewis and Mills provide a gold standard resource here for leaders to connect with others effectively, and to simply get things done. Fabulous read.”
—Han Ee Lim, CEO, Singapore Sailing
“A great read for the executive who needs a tune–up on how to have impactfulconversations with their audience. The authors remind us how communication is an art in need of practice.”
—Holly Buckendahl, CEO, Ronald McDonald House Charities® Chicagoland & NW Indiana
“For years, our Executive Education clients have ranked the techniques taught by Lewis and Mills at the top of the scale. The Bullseye Principle is yet another ‘top pick’ for those who are serious about mastering communication.”
—Bill Joiner, Executive Director, Business Development, Southern Methodist University, COX Executive Education
“Relevant and timely. In an era of communication confusion, The Bullseye Principle, brings to light distinct communication struggles and exactly how you can improve yourself to succeed personally and professionally.”
—Krysta Van Ranst, Director of Learning and Development, Dellbrook | JKS
“The Bullseye Principle delivers exquisite techniques that help our leaders drive business impact and meaningful conversations that matter.”
—Christina Itzkowitz, Senior Director Global Talent Management, Charles River Laboratories
“The Bullseye Principle hits the mark dead center. As a former Major League Baseball player, knowing the techniques in this book would have made me a better team communicator and team leader. It definitely will aid me, post MLB, as I pursue my speaking career.”
—Brian D. Barton, former Major League Baseball Player, St. Louis Cardinals
“The Bullseye Principle is one of the most useful and captivating books I have read in years. Simple and powerful, it cleverly links a proven methodology to help readers build executive presence and influence others simply by the way they communicate.”
—Mark McNitt, Director Business Process, Ferguson Enterprises
“With an emphasis on objective and intent, Lewis and Mills have constructed a succinct technique that enables one to clearly achieve their goals through communication.”
—Scott Michael Campbell, film and television actor (Brokeback Mountain, Flight of the Phoenix, Shameless)
“Recent college grads, as well as more experienced workers, will find not only an entertaining read but a book that moves you from mere ‘ah–ha’ moments to actualizing an exciting new approach to communication and influence. Readers beware . . . there is a new you on the horizon!”
—Janine G. Tarkow, Director STRIVE Leadership Program, University of California, San Diego
David Lewis G. Riley Mills
The BullseyePrinciple
Mastering Intention-Based Communication to Collaborate, Execute, and Succeed
Cover image: ©malerapaso/Getty Images
Cover design: Wiley
Copyright © 2018 David Lewis and G. Riley Mills. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750–8400, fax (978) 646–8600, or on the Web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748–6011, fax (201) 748–6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762–2974, outside the United States at (317) 572–3993 or fax (317) 572–4002.
Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Names: Lewis, David H., 1970- author. | Mills, G. Riley, author.
Title: The bullseye principle : mastering intention-based communication to collaborate, execute, and succeed / David Lewis, G. Riley Mills.
Description: Hoboken : Wiley, 2018. | Includes index. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2017057632 (print) | LCCN 2018003857 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119484707 (pdf) | ISBN 9781119484677 (epub) | ISBN 9781119484714 (hardback) | ISBN 9781119484707 (ePDF)
Subjects: LCSH: Communication in management. | Leadership. | Cooperation. | BISAC: BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Leadership.
Classification: LCC HD30.3 (ebook) | LCC HD30.3 .L486 2018 (print) | DDC 658.4/5–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017057632
Dedicated to Celeste, Rider, and Hunter. You inspire me to do more, to learn more, and to play more.
—DL
For my Mom. Thank you for a lifetime of inspiration, guidance, and unwavering love and support.
—GRM
When an archer misses the mark . . . failure to hit the bullseye is never the fault of the target. To improve your aim, improve yourself.
—Gilbert Arland
Introduction
In order to succeed, we must first believe we can.
—MICHAEL KORDA
Truth be told, we never intended to write the book you are now holding in your hands. After completing our first book, The Pin Drop Principle, we thought we had said everything we wanted to say on the subject of communication skills and becoming a more influential speaker. But in the years since its release, as we traveled the world training and coaching executives across various industries, something interesting started to happen. We began to notice distinct shifts in the way people were communicating with one another, how they were presenting information and new ways in which they were managing their teams. Communication in the corporate arena was changing and many of the old ways were no longer proving useful. One study found that people interact with their cell phones—touching, tapping, swiping—an average of 2,617 times a day.1 Another study revealed that 67 percent of people felt that the meetings they attended at their job were generally a waste of time2 and a third study found that 65 percent of workers wanted to receive more feedback from their managers because they were not getting what they needed.3 We suddenly realized it was time to revisit some of the concepts we had touched upon previously and explore them in greater detail, to further the conversation and continue to untangle the intricacies of human communication and the ways in which people interact with one another.
And then the election of 2016 happened.
As a young man growing up in Queens, Donald Trump often fantasized about being an actor on the New York stage, commanding the attention of an audience and basking in the spotlight. In 2016, Trump's shocking electoral victory made the public question everything they thought they understood about how leaders are expected to behave, how messages get conveyed, and how opinions are developed. What was once thought of as effective communication seemed to momentarily get scrambled, and in some ways, redefined. We will touch upon the good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of Trump's communication in later chapters, but this, combined with groundbreaking new research on the topic of communication, created an urgency for us to embark on a more detailed exploration of modern communication with the hope of eventually sharing our findings with the public. This book is the culmination of that work.
The ability to communicate with purpose and clarity is the key to personal and professional success.
That statement is the core and founding belief behind our global communication skills training firm Pinnacle Performance Company. Those who have trained with us or read The Pin Drop Principle know that we approach the subject of communication from a very unique vantage point in that we both have extensive experience running businesses and managing sales teams in the corporate arena, while also having enjoyed careers as professional actors, working in television, film, and theater. It is the meshing of these two distinct skill sets—the corporate and the creative—that has formed the basis of our acclaimed, intention-based communication™ skills training and methodology.
For the past 15 years, we have been fortunate to train leaders and executives in nearly 50 countries, studying the way people interact with one another and noting what works, what doesn't, and where communication gets short-circuited. In the end, human beings all want to understand and be understood, but effective communication is not something that happens easily. And without a firm grasp of the elements needed to be a good communicator, there is no guarantee it will happen at all. Think about how communication impacts you on a daily basis with your boss, your clients, your peers, and even your family members. In fact, think about your life at this very moment. Wherever you are as you read this paragraph, chances are pretty good that right now, today, there is a relationship in your life, either personal or professional, that is causing you stress or anxiety. And there is also a high probability that the cause of that tension can be traced back to a problem with how the two of you are communicating with each other.
In the Pinnacle methodology, we detail how the same set of tools that actors have used for centuries to appear more confident, credible, and captivating, can just as easily be utilized by someone in the corporate environment. In the following chapters, we will delve deeper into these concepts by sharing additional principles that professional performers utilize to define their brand, show empathy, perform under pressure, and collaborate effectively with others. We will show you just how quickly and easily these techniques can be transferred to the corporate arena—helping you improve performance, re-engage with your content, and get results. Our award-winning, intention-based methodology utilizes a strategic psychological approach that incorporates the acting mindset of objective and intention to influence audience emotion to motivate behavior change. We have distilled what we call The Pinnacle Method™ down to three specific steps that we will share in Chapter 1. It is the implementation of these three steps that will serve as a foundation for the material we share throughout the rest of this book. At the end of each chapter, you will find guides called “blueprints” that we have created to help you apply the content to your own communication. These guides will not only help you lock in the learning, they can also serve as a resource whenever you need to revisit a specific topic—when dealing with a sudden change scenario at work, adjusting to a new role, or running a weekly status meeting.
Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art.
—ANDY WARHOL
The quote from Gilbert Arland that we include at the beginning of this book is an illuminating one. Picture an arrow whizzing through the air toward its target. That is how we view communication. It doesn't matter your role or what topic you are discussing, if the arrow that is your message does not hit its intended bullseye, you will have fallen short of the mark as a communicator. If your audience is bored during your meeting or confused during your presentation, it is your fault. The burden of engagement always lies with the speaker.
To extend the metaphor even further, if the bullseye in this image is the objective you seek with your communication and the arrow represents your message, then your intention is the way in which you launch that arrow—the specific adjustments you make with regard to the aim, angle, and depth of the pull—that sends your ideas out into the world. The pairing of a strong intention utilized in the pursuit of a specific objective is the secret weapon that actors and great leaders use to engage and influence and is something we will explore in greater detail shortly.
Sergey Brin and Larry Page, the brilliant computer scientists who founded Google, always believed that “hard skills” and technical expertise were the most important qualities necessary for workplace success. But in 2013, Google ran a study called Project Oxygen that shocked everyone by concluding that, among the eight most important qualities of their top employees, technical expertise actually came in dead last. The top seven characteristics of success for their teams were all “soft skills”: being a good coach; communicating and listening well, having empathy toward one's colleagues, etc.4
In a recent Wall Street Journal survey of nearly 900 executives, more than 92 percent said skills such as communication and collaboration were “equally important” or “more important” than technical skills with regard to their workforce.5 Unfortunately, nearly the same number of executives—89 percent—said they have a difficult time finding people with these requisite attributes.6 One recent survey found a huge gap between the younger generation's perception of their skills and what their bosses actually thought. About 62 percent of these young workers believed their oral communication skills were good enough for them to succeed at work, but only 28 percent of their employers agreed.7 Their ability to collaborate as part of a team was also seen differently, as 64 percent of students thought they worked well with others but only 37 percent of their bosses agreed.8 What these numbers reveal is that communication in the corporate arena needs to be better for your teams and organizations to thrive. According to Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of Virgin Airlines, “Communication is the most important skill any leader can possess,”9 and Warren Buffett agrees, saying, “You can improve your value by 50 percent just by learning communication skills.”10
Scientists and experts have been studying communication for centuries to try to understand why people behave the way they do. As professional actors, we know that communication is never simply about the information being exchanged; it is also about how it is being communicated. In the end, it is the emotion and motivation behind your message that will compel your audience to take action. The subtle tactics and modifications an actor or speaker add to their delivery are called intention cues, something we will discuss in Chapter 1. According to Ken Howard, an Emmy- and Tony-award-winning actor who has also taught a course on salesmanship at Harvard, “Like an actor, the effective communicator has to have an overall objective and then play the actions to fulfill that objective. . .. At every level—in politics, diplomacy, law, education, business, social relations—effective communication is about winning people's attention, impressing them, then getting them to do what you believe they ought to do: buy the product, beat the competition, hire you.”11
Communication, when delivered effectively, has the power to transform and deepen relationships, while ineffective communication can result in a toxic stew of anger or resentment that can lose clients, negatively impact employee morale, and ruin friendships. Sadly, when it comes to communication, most people are simply not very good at it. According to recent studies, 71 percent of those surveyed reported that their managers did not spend enough time explaining goals to them.12 Additionally, 70 percent of respondents in another survey said they would be happier and 55 percent said they would be more successful if they got along better with their bosses.13 These numbers should be a wake-up call to anyone tasked with leading a workforce or managing a team. One popular Gallup study found that a stunning 67 percent of employees in the United States were currently “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” with their jobs14 and that number climbs to 85 percent worldwide.15 These disengaged employees end up costing U.S. companies an estimated $450–550 billion annually.16 In upcoming chapters, we will delve deeper into the solutions we recommend for keeping people motivated, but clearly communication is at the forefront of these efforts.
Power consists in one's capacity to link his will with the purpose of others.
—WOODROW WILSON
To engage an audience and make them listen, to persuade them to take action or see something your way, your message should provide a benefit and connect directly to their own personal wants, needs, or desires. Twentieth-century Russian theater director Constantin Stanislavski, often credited as the father of modern acting, knew the importance of engagement. “Completely absorb an audience,” he would say, “Making [them] not only understand but participate emotionally in. . .an experience which will not be erased by time.”17 In the following chapters, when we use the term “audience,” we are referring to anyone with whom you communicate, such as peers, clients, wedding guests, or your future in-laws. Anyone you come into contact with or communicate ideas to is an audience. Viola Spolin, who revolutionized the idea of improvisational acting for twentieth-century actors, once said: “The audience is the most revered member of the theater. . .everything done is ultimately for the enjoyment of the audience. They are our guests, fellow players, and the last spoke in the wheel which can then begin to roll.”18 This same idea applies to anyone presenting information in a business setting, whether delivering a presentation to clients or running a meeting for your local PTA. Like an actor in the theater, the success of your performance will depend on how effectively you deliver your message and how well it is received by your intended audience.
“The role of public speaker has much in common with acting,” said Ken Howard. “The character that you have to perfect is the best version of yourself—for that occasion and that audience. Not a phony version of yourself, just a better-prepared version.”19 In the corporate arena, the speaker's situation is similar to that of the actor's. They both have an objective they are pursuing and both employ various tactics—what we call intentions—to achieve that objective. The renowned acting coach Declan Donnellan takes this idea one step further, stating, “We live by acting roles, be it father, mother, teacher, or friend. Acting is a reflex, a mechanism for development and survival.”20
In business, everyone has a role to play and an audience to influence. Our training is at the forefront of a new movement in the business world to utilize the methods of professional actors to help business leaders thrive. Schools such as MIT Sloane School of Management, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Darden School of Business at University of Virginia, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University, and University of Oxford and Warwick Business School in the United Kingdom have all drawn lessons from the world of theater and acting to enhance their MBA students' abilities to be strong leaders and communicators. In his groundbreaking book Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman makes the connection between the skills of an actor and how these can be utilized for each of us in our daily lives. “People who make an excellent social impression,” said Goleman, “are adept at monitoring their own expression of emotion, are keenly attuned to the ways others are reacting, and so are able to continually fine-tune their social performance, adjusting it to make sure they are having the desired effect. In that sense, they are like skilled actors.”21
Influential leaders have been employing the principles of professional actors to improve their communication for centuries—going all the way back to 360 BC, when the actor Satyrus transformed the Athenian statesman Demosthenes into one of the most dynamic orators of all time.22 So revered as a communicator was Demosthenes that the famed ad man David Ogilvy, widely hailed as “The Father of Advertising,” cited him as the inspiration for his persuasive ad campaigns, saying, “When Aeschines spoke, they said, ‘How well he speaks.’ But when Demosthenes spoke, they said, ‘Let us march against Philip.’”23
The idea of influential speakers borrowing from the actor's toolbox has a very prominent place in world history. Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln performed Shakespeare to help sharpen their oratorical chops. Ronald Reagan, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Strahan, Vaclav Havel, and Justin Trudeau were all actors before transitioning to leadership roles. And yet others such as Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Angela Merkel, John F. Kennedy, Suze Orman, and Tony Robbins all studied with acting coaches to improve their presence and delivery. Even Dale Carnegie, the author of How to Win Friends and Influence People, started out as an actor. And there is good reason that all of these leaders have leaned on the performance methods of actors to improve their communication. Through training and practice, actors become body language detectives, human sponges, studying the way people speak, move, gesture, stand, and dress, down to the smallest detail. To some degree, the same holds true for anyone working in the corporate environment. We all make judgments about others based on how they look, what they say, and how they say it. To be trusted, we need to appear authentic and credible in the eyes of our audiences. Consequently, the more credible and believable you appear, the more trust you will engender with your audience and the more success you will inevitably achieve. Stanislavski always demanded “believable truth” from his actors, saying, “On the stage, as in real life, action, objectives, given circumstances, a sense of truth, concentration of attention, emotion, memory—should be indivisible.”24 Many of Stanislavski's methods and texts, though originally meant for actors, can serve anyone wanting to be a more influential communicator. Actors understand that communication comes from the total presence of a person and the following chapters will provide information on how to improve that as well. We all have a natural energy that runs through us and affects the way we breathe, speak, move, and listen. Much like an actor performing a scene in a play or film, when you and a coworker are talking, you're attuned to and making judgments based on their facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice, as well as the actual words they are speaking. You are in motion as you try to relate to each other and you are both responding to dozens of intention cues that are happening all at once. This is the realm of the professional actor.
Intention is the key to mastery.
—ROB HANNA
Jayne Benjulian, who served as the first chief speechwriter for Apple in the 1980s, understood the parallels between the performance of an actor and that of an executive in the boardroom. “Once,” recalled Benjulian, “I took an Apple executive to a writing workshop to show him how actors work. He asked me: ‘How do you act sincerely?’ Truthfully, it's not an act. Great speakers risk being fully present in the moment.”25 Effective communication, whether during a meeting or presentation, should feel fresh and spontaneous to an audience, as if they are the first person ever to hear these words. Actors understand that nothing deflates an audience's interest level quicker than a speaker whose delivery sounds memorized or robotic. This goes for an audience watching a presentation or attending a meeting at work. You've got to engage your audience to influence behavior change and this book will help you do just that. To be clear: The goal of this book is not to teach you how to be an actor. Acting is a craft and takes years to master. Additionally, we are not asking you to become an entertainer, or magically transform into an extrovert when you are a naturally introverted person. We simply want you to be a performer in the sense of performance as it relates to interviews, meetings, and executive presence—bringing your best self to the moment, no matter the setting, no matter the audience.
The Bullseye Principle can be read sequentially or read in a modular way. Feel free to read the first chapter to understand our three-step process and the concepts of intention and objective and then jump to specific chapters that you find most interesting, in whatever order you choose. For those who read The Pin Drop Principle, the terms we use here will be familiar to you and will allow you to hit the ground running. For those who have not, we have included a glossary in the back of the book for easy reference. As you begin to consider the principles discussed in this book, carefully analyze your own communication. As with any learning process, personal development begins with self-awareness and a willingness to modify behavior to improve performance. Be honest with yourself as you begin experimenting with these concepts and charting a course forward. Don't worry about perfection; instead focus on progress. The road to becoming a more effective communicator is a journey, not a destination. Once you free yourself from the unrealistic idea of perfection, you can begin the process of true self-discovery and improvement. This is probably a good time to remind you that Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the greatest orators in history, got a C in his public speaking class as a seminary student. Only with practice and repetition can any of us hope to move toward mastery. Great speakers are made, not born. Let The Bullseye Principle serve as a resource that you can review and revisit as you advance in your career and continue to grow as a leader. By understanding and implementing the methodology and principles discussed in this book, improvement is not only possible, it is all but guaranteed.
Grab a highlighter and let's get started.
Notes
1.
John Brandon, “You Touch This Gadget 2,617 Times Per Day. Here's How to Stop,”
inc.com
, January 13, 2017.
2.
Cindy Perman, “Hate Meetings? Why Most Are Complete Failures,”
cnbc.com
, September 6, 2012.
3.
Victor Lipman, “65% of Employees Want More Feedback (So Why Don't They Get It?),”
forbes.com
, August 8, 2016.
4.
Valerie Strauss, "The surprising thing Google learned about its employees??????and what it means for today's students," Washington Post, December 20, 2017.
5.
Kate Davidson, “Employers Find ‘Soft Skills’ Like Critical Thinking in Short Supply,”
wsj.com
, April 30, 2016.
6.
Ibid.
7.
Scott Jaschik, “Well-Prepared in Their Own Eyes,”
Inside Higher Ed
, January 20, 2015.
8.
Ibid.
9.
Carmine Gallo, “Richard Branson: ‘Communication Is The Most Important Skill Any Leader Can Possess,’”
forbes.com
, July 7, 2015.
10.
Carmine Gallo, “Billionaire Warren Buffett Says This 1 Skill Will Boost Your Career Value by 50 Percent,”
inc.com
, January 5, 2017.
11.
Ken Howard,
Act Natural: How to Speak to Any Audience
(New York: Random House, 2003), p. 189.
12.
Ilya Pozin, “How Transparent Is Too Transparent in Business?”
forbes.com
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13.
Meghan Casserly, “Majority of Americans Would Rather Fire Their Boss Than Get a Raise,”
forbes.com
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14.
Kavi Guppta, “Gallup: American Workers Are Unengaged and Looking Elsewhere,”
forbes.com
, March 8, 2017.
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news.gallup.com
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16.
Susan Sorenson and Keri Garman, “How to Tackle U.S. Employees' Stagnating Engagement,”
news.gallup.com
, June 11, 2013.
17.
Constantin Stanislavski,
An Actor's Handbook: An Alphabetical Arrangement of Concise Statements of Acting
(New York: Theatre Arts Books, 1963), p. 27.
18.
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Content Marketing Institute
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www.contentmarketinginstitute.com
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Ken Howard,
Act Natural: How to Speak to Any Audience
(New York: Random House, 2003), p. 47.
20.
Declan Donnellan,
The Actor and the Target,
Theatre Communications Group (2006), p. 2.
21.
Daniel Goleman,
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ
(London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 1995), p. 119.
22.
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Charlotte Higgins, “Gordon Brown Invokes Demosthenes and Cicero—Badly,”
theguardian.com
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24.
Constantin Stanislavski,
An Actor's Handbook: An Alphabetical Arrangement of Concise Statements of Acting
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The Atlantic,
June 10, 2016.
Chapter 1Hit Your MarkUtilizing Intention to Maximize Message Impact
Every objective must carry in itself the germs of action.
—CONSTANTIN STANISLAVSKI
If you are a leader in the corporate arena, your role will not only require you to influence the thoughts and feelings of stakeholders inside and outside of your organization, but also to motivate their actions through your vision and ideas. This is no small feat, and it will likely happen on a daily basis, sometimes with high stakes in the balance. Great leadership is practiced one conversation at a time, and someone communicating a message must understand how they want their audience to react before being able to deliver it with impact. Actors are masters of verbal and nonverbal communication; experts at driving their messages home with intent. In this chapter, we will detail our three-step process for influential communication as well as the concepts of intention and objective (the effective communicator's secret weapon), to allow you to engage others by influencing emotions and motivating action.
The Legend of Phil Davison
As of this writing, if you enter the words “worst speech of all time” into Google's search engine it will bring up over 18 million results. But the very first entry on the very first page of results is a video of a man named Phil Davison. Additionally, if you do a Google search for “worst speaker of all time” it is Phil Davison who once again comes up on the first page of results. (We will pause here for you to go watch the video on YouTube. Trust us, it's worth it.) The speech that Davison delivered brought him international infamy and was named “top political rant” of all time by the Washington Post. The story of Phil Davison is an interesting tale and one that offers important lessons for all of us who are tasked with influencing others with our communication.1
In 2010, Phil Davison was an aspiring politician in Ohio, a tall and soft-spoken man who still lived with his father in the same house where he had grown up. Davison's political career began when he walked into the Board of Elections for Stark County one day and filled out an application to run for the office of County Treasurer. Davison had been working as a local councilman at the time and decided he wanted to make a difference in his community and help people.
Davison had first become interested in the idea of public service when, as a child, a local politician had knocked on his front door, introducing himself and asking Davison's parents for their vote. Davison was intrigued by this man who had come into his house—connecting with Phil and his family on a personal level, right there at their kitchen table. Davison had listened intently to the man and decided way back then that he would pursue a similar calling himself one day. He loved the idea of meeting people, of understanding their concerns and then helping them make their lives better. During the years before the speech, Davison had been involved as a volunteer with local politics, often donating money to the local Republican party and helping out at various events and fundraisers. But mounting a campaign of his own was something that would need to wait until further down the road. For now, he was happy building relationships, making connections, and paying his dues, biding his time until the moment was right for him to run for office himself.
Then, in 2010, that moment arrived.
Davison had been working as a councilman when he was notified by a local Republican leader that there was an open position. “I thought, ‘ This might be my one shot,’ ” said Davison. Urged on by party leaders, he decided the time for him to run for office had finally arrived. The Republican party of Ohio was looking for a candidate to run for the position of Stark County Treasurer and they thought Phil would be a perfect fit. Davison learned that there were five other candidates on the ballot and all six of them had been invited to speak to a group of Republican insiders in Canton, Ohio—the very people who would decide which of the six candidates would get their endorsement and support.
Excited by the opportunity to introduce himself to local leadership, Davison went to work on his speech. He sat down at his kitchen table on a Sunday afternoon and began writing, composing a well-crafted speech that established his credibility, detailed the problems facing Ohio, and proposed a handful of clear, practical solutions that he planned to implement if elected. He threw in a relevant quote from Albert Einstein to drive the theme of his speech home and made sure the powerful phrasing and repetition in the speech would make his points more memorable. He wrote the speech in longhand and then typed it up the following day. Davison called a friend and asked him to watch while he rehearsed his speech. When he had finished the practice run, Davison was energized. The speech suddenly “came to life,” he recalled, “it breathed, it moved.”
The night of the speech was soon upon him and Davison felt confident and ready. He put on his best suit and headed to Canton where the influential Republican Party insiders were gathering to pick their candidate. He arrived early and did his best to mingle with the other people in attendance. The party chairman approached him and they shook hands. The chairman had placed six numbered slips of paper in a hat and invited the candidates to draw a slip to determine the order in which they would speak. Davison drew the number 6, which meant he would be speaking last, the grand finale of the night's proceedings.
The other speakers took the stage and, one by one, gave their speeches. Finally, it was Davison's turn. He set aside the microphone, judging that he would not need it. You see, something had happened prior to delivering the speech that changed the circumstances for Davison and would soon change the temperature of the room. Before taking his place amongst the other candidates, Davison had been approached by one of the local party leaders who wished him luck with his speech but informed him that party insiders had already decided which of the six candidates they would be backing in the election. “I was told, ‘The vote's in and you're not getting it,’ ” he recalled. Davison was shocked. For years, he had given money and volunteered his time to help these people. He felt humiliated and betrayed. How could this have happened?
As Davison took the stage, he looked out into the audience and took a breath. Many of the party leaders kept their heads down, avoiding eye contact, while others sported buttons endorsing other candidates. As he unrolled his notes, Davison was overcome by emotion and he launched into the speech that would make him famous. Pacing like a caged animal, he locked in on the audience, pointing, glaring, gesticulating: “My name is Phil Davison . . . and I will not apologize for my tone tonight!” He delivered every word of the speech he had so carefully prepped and rehearsed. And in less than six minutes, he was done. Davison folded his notes and placed them back in his breast pocket. He took his seat and waited patiently as the votes were counted. A few minutes later, the winner was declared. Davison, alone, headed to the parking lot, got into his car and drove the 40 minutes back to his small hometown of Minerva.
The next morning Davison got up and grabbed the local newspaper to see the coverage of the election. As he read the paper at his kitchen table, the phone rang. It was a college friend, now living in New York. The friend informed Davison that the video of him giving the speech had gone viral and was burning up the Internet. Phil was dumbfounded. Why would anyone be interested in a speech by a losing politician in a local race in Ohio? He would soon find out as the telephone began to ring with one call after another: first the BBC, then Good Morning America, Comedy Central, CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox. Local television reporters swarmed his front door requesting interviews. One reporter even told him: “Mr. Davison, I've been a reporter for 30 years now and I've never been as afraid to go to someone's door as I was today.”
As momentum from the video continued to build, the speech popped up in the most random places: a professor in Sweden screened it for her students, college kids would watch it on repeat and then recite it word for word. A beverage company approached Davison to be the spokesman for a new Red Bull-type drink they were about to launch. And it didn't stop there—soon Hollywood came calling. Davison starred in a television commercial for Volkswagen alongside reggae legend Jimmy Cliff. That commercial, which featured a clip of Davison's famous speech, played during the Super Bowl—the most-watched television program of the year. It became a whirlwind journey toward celebrity for the aspiring politician from Minerva. Davison admitted that the sudden fame was not easy to handle. “It was embarrassing, it was exciting, it was new to me. I was scared.”
And it was just about at this point in the Phil Davison saga where we enter the story.
When our first book, The Pin Drop Principle, was released we were frequently asked to speak at events and conferences, and as part of our presentation, we would often show the Phil Davison video because it was a perfect example of intention and objective going haywire for a speaker. The raw emotion of Davison's delivery—the ranting and pacing and pointing and glaring—did not support the message he was attempting to deliver. This mismatch made Davison appear unhinged, like a lunatic possessed by demons. The incongruence in what he was saying versus how he was saying it not only confused people, it made Davison look like he was out of control.
One day, after showing the video to a group of executives, we started to wonder what had happened to Davison after he gave that famous speech that turned him into an Internet sensation. We decided to try and locate Phil to see if we could help him develop his skills as a speaker and improve his communication style. For us, it was a chance to put our methodology to the test with what was arguably our most challenging test subject to date: the man known as “the worst speaker of all time.”
After locating Phil and explaining to him who we were and what we were attempting to do, he agreed to come to Chicago. We explained our three-step process and detailed how actors and great communicators start by analyzing their audience and then identifying an objective to pursue. We explained how a speaker's body is a billboard and that every aspect of someone's communication—their posture, gestures, vocal dynamics, and movement—contain information that an audience will use to form their perception of them. And we explained that by controlling the intention cues you send out, in the manner of a great actor, you can ultimately control how an audience will feel about you.
When the coaching session was over, Davison finally understood why his speech had gone off the rails: the anger he was expressing created incongruence, or mixed messages, between what he was saying and how he was saying it. We asked him if he still remembered the words to the speech that had made him famous and if he would be willing to redo it, adjusting his intention cues this time so that they now supported the words. Davison was game so we set up a camera and started filming. As he began speaking, a transformation began to take place. Whereas the original speech made Davison look like a maniac, he now appeared relaxed, confident, and professional. He was passionate and likeable, his personality coming through in every moment. The same content now resonated in a way that it hadn't before. (To access and view this video go to www.pinper.com and click on the bullseye image in the bottom right corner of the screen.)
Since becoming famous, Davison has gone on to make appearances on television and at various conferences across the country. He is often recognized on the street or in airports. When we asked Davison how he felt about the fame and notoriety that this famous speech had brought to him, here is what he had to say: “The Washington Post said that ‘Phil Davison's rant will never be usurped.’ That's a helluva statement—it means you can't beat it! Do you know what I'm saying? ‘Never be usurped.’ Never. Never. Not ‘might not be.’ Never be usurped. And I will take that with me until the day I die and they put me in my grave. That counts for something, doesn't it?”
To this day, that speech remains the only public speech Phil Davison has ever given.
In his groundbreaking 1956 book The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, psychologist Erving Goffman used imagery of the theater and the idea that human beings are “social actors”2 to discuss communication and social interaction. He used the term “performance” to refer to any activity an individual does in front of observers, whether that be chatting with a neighbor in the front yard, facilitating a training session at work or interviewing a candidate for a job. And, like an actor on the stage, Goffman believed that during these performances an individual provides meaning to their audience by the manner in which they behave at any given moment. According to Goffman, when an individual comes in contact with other people, they modify their behavior depending on the audience and setting—much like what an actor does onstage. Goffman believed that individuals, like actors, each have a “front stage” and “back stage” persona and act differently depending on the “setting” in which their “performance” is taking place.3 Front stage behavior is what one does when they know others are watching them, such as during a presentation at work, walking through a crowded city intersection, or running a meeting with clients. Back stage behavior is different, more private and relaxed, such as when they are at home or alone on a hike in a forest. In both behaviors, people adjust their intentional cues—their voice, dress, attitude—is an attempt to control or guide the impression that others will develop about them. The reason for this is usually to avoid embarrassment or enhance one's stature in the eyes of others. For example, a person will behave differently when meeting with the CEO in a boardroom than they would when speaking to a childhood friend over drinks. Said Goffman, “The part one individual plays is tailored to the parts played by others present.”4
When actors train in their craft, they don't study the anatomy of the face or which muscles are used for a smile and which are used for a frown. They train themselves to access emotions through intention, knowing that when they feel a specific emotion on the inside, it will show on the outside. And what others see as a result will then impact their perception of the person. This idea transfers well to anyone in the corporate arena who is tasked with communicating a message to others. If you are presenting something that is meant to excite people but you don't personally feel excited by the proposal, that will likely be read as apathy by your audience and they may mirror back disinterest in kind. Albert Mehrabian, in his landmark study on communication, established that the congruence of your communication requires that three channels—verbal (what you say), vocal (how you say it), and visual (how you look)—be absolutely in sync.5 When people take in your message, they are deciphering meaning from your delivery to determine how they should feel about what you are saying and how they should respond to it. A congruent message will help to establish trust with a listener by creating alignment and clarity between what is being said and how someone is saying it. It will also ensure consistency with your message, which is also important since studies have shown that when all three channels of communication are aligned, it is more likely that your message will be understood. When they are not, you send mixed signals to an audience that may confuse them or provide an opportunity for your message to be misinterpreted. When someone's communication is incongruent, an audience will barely listen to the message. They will be confused and focused on untangling the mixed messages rather than on the main topic. As communicators, we naturally feel the impulse to be congruent with all three channels of communication, and whenever our attitude is inconsistent with our behavior, we feel discomfort and a natural inclination to resolve it. This is important to understand when you are attempting to influence someone else with your message. If you are communicating something positive or inspiring, an audience will need to hear that reflected in your voice and see it in your body language. Your verbal communication channel communicates facts and information—a crucial element when influencing others. Your nonverbal communication communicates something different but equally important: your attitudes and emotions and how you want them to feel about the information. Intention is the glue that binds your verbal and nonverbal communication together. With a strong intention behind your words, that intention will ensure congruency of message and do your communication work for you.
The art of communication is the language of leadership.
—JAMES HUMES
We all communicate every day of our lives, whether we choose to or not, and we all want something as a result of the messages we are communicating. Think about it. Your teenager throws a ball in the house and it shatters a vase—you deliver a message. Your employee shows up late to work for the third day in a row—you deliver a message. Your in-laws invite you to dinner and ask how your job search is progressing—you deliver a message. In all of these scenarios you clearly seek something from the other party and want them to feel a certain way and take certain actions as a result of hearing your message. The question is, how does one do this effectively?
Daniel J. O'Keefe, a professor at Northwestern University, has defined persuasion as “a successful, intentional effort at influencing another's mental state through communication.”6 To influence an audience, you have to start by understanding their needs so you can not only meet but exceed them. And not just their needs—but also their beliefs, desires, concerns, and constraints. In fact, any aspect that will play a factor in their decision-making process will provide you with useful information to help customize your message. As comedian Patton Oswalt has pointed out, “Every audience is different,” so it is important that you “make every audience your audience.”7
Engagement—perhaps the most vital ingredient for effective communication—is the willing state of attentiveness an audience must be in for you to be able to influence them. If an audience has tuned you out, it doesn't matter how knowledgeable you are or how interesting your information is, because little can be achieved if your audience is distracted or asleep. As a communicator, when it comes to hitting the mark with an audience, it is not enough that you understand why the information you are presenting is important to them, your audience must receive it with the same urgency. And that can't happen without engagement. As Teller (born Raymond Joseph Teller), the silent half of the magical performance duo Penn & Teller (and a former Latin teacher) points out, a speaker “has a duty to engage.” And not just engage, but “transform apathy into interest.”8 The same goes for someone in the corporate environment. Whether delivering a message to clients, detailing a new policy to team members, or updating the CEO on a recent purchase order, it is your job to not only engage them with your message, but also create a change in their knowledge, feelings, or behavior as a result of them hearing the information being shared.
In most cases, an audience in the corporate setting will be open to hearing your message—at least at the start. They want to learn, want to have better clarity or want to feel inspired by what you have to say. But it is your job to connect with them on an emotional level from the moment you enter the room until the last visual aid is displayed. If you ever wonder whether your audience is engaged or not, there is an easy way to find out: look at their faces. And not just their faces, take in their nonverbal communication. The messages they are sending back to you contain very important information. Warning signs that your audience is disengaged or bored include few questions being asked, people avoiding eye contact, blank stares, doodling, or disengaged body language such as slouching, crossed arms, or yawning. For a speaker communicating a message, eye contact is a vital tool for engagement and building rapport. If you are not staying attuned to the intentional cues being provided to you by your audience, you will likely miss fully interpreting them.
The most effective way to ensure engagement in your meetings or presentations is to create a pattern interrupt (or “change-up”)—something you do or say that is designed to break behavior patterns or habits that can lull your audience into a state of complacency. Surprise your audience with something interesting or unexpected at frequent intervals throughout. Shift gears by changing speakers or topics. Divide your audience into groups and incorporate physical activity, if appropriate. Introduce a new visual aid or solicit feedback or opinions from people. Make your meetings and presentations a dialogue instead of a monologue. This will help you to keep the room alive. Schedule breaks to give people a chance to step away and return refreshed and ready to re-engage with your message.
