A recent participant in our Speak Up & Be Effective™- Momentum (formerly Advanced) program shares her experience from our September reinforcement session.
“Be prepared” is the famous Boy Scouts motto, but the professionals at Jennifer Maxson & Associates Inc. know it’s crucial for more than just scouting. They have encouraged me to “be prepared” for difficult conversations – not winging it, not avoiding it, and not faking it. The tools that the coaches Sarah, Amy, and Jennifer have provided to me are good ones – but sometimes, I need to be reminded how to use them!
At this reinforcement session, we reviewed the basics of communicating with impact, DiSC, and finally how to combine those two lessons into a thoughtful development plan. It is the planning that I struggle with the most; who has time to write out talking points before beginning a difficult conversation? But, time and again, I have seen what a difference it makes. It truly does pay to “be prepared.”
First, we walked through a brief review of Speak Up & Be Effective™ – Momentum – what it is, what it looks like (hint: kids in whirlpool), and how it can be created. We examined the different roles in momentum – leaders, early adopters, latecomers, and skeptics. Being able to properly identify your own style and the style of your audience is vital so that you can adapt your communication to them.
The last step was using a brand new Key Word Outling sheet to develop a communication for “Iinternal Iinfluence.” We tailored our key points to our audience’s style and delivered the message with momentum-creation in mind. At the end, we were able to practice our delivery of key points with a partner, which is immensely helpful to me in being able to literally speak the words I plan to say.
I strongly encourage all “graduates” of Jennifer Maxson & Associates Inc.’s Speak Up & Be Effective™ – Momentum program to take advantage of the reinforcement sessions they offer. They’re free, there’s coffee and pastries, time for networking, and most importantly an excellent recap of all the communication tools you learned (and perhaps have since un-learned). It is true, as they say, that “practice makes permanent, not perfect.” So we have to practice what we’ve studied in communication, leadership, and influence to be effective.
These Speak Up & Be Effective™ – Momentum reinforcement sessions are offered to all alumni who have completed our Speak Up & Be Effective™ – Momentum (formerly Advanced) programs. Save the dates for 2019: May 16 & September 24.
If have not attended our Speak Up & Be Effective™ – Momentum program and you want to create momentum in your organization around key initiatives and communicate for results, we still have a few seats remaining in our December 11 & 12 program. Contact us to sign up today.