Check out the web links below for some interesting facts or go to your local community web sites to find out what is going on in your part of this big blue marble we call earth. Do your bit for the planet. Think blue. Think green. It’s all about you and me and taking small steps every day to promote a healthy world for this and the next generation.
Up cycle and Recycle – easy things we can all do to reduce-reuse-recycle-re-purpose. The easiest thing you can do…don’t buy stuff you don’t need! Shop at home first!
I’m happy to share this old saying, a quote from our body of common knowledge. Would you consider this recycling or re-purposing? I’ll leave it to you to decide!
KG
"Use it up, wear it out,
make it do, or do without."
Author unknown
Happy Earth Day Canada! Celebrate our Planet!
Earth - Canada - Manitoba - Winnipeg - Prairie - September 2008 - K. Gardner
I was compelled to make one more post this week to share one of my annual observances. Turn off the electricity. Do something non-technical for an hour! Free your brain. Reconnect with your people! Support the Planet.
1 HOUR! 8:30 to 9:30 PM anywhere on earth!
KG
"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us." Calvin & Hobbes - Bill Watterson
On this the last day of 'The Blog Project' I'll admit I faced a few personal challenges pulling it together. And I'm still learning! That's really what it's all about after all. Peter Urs Bender and his unique take on self and leadership is being absorbed into my pores as we speak. I hope you enjoyed the journey. I thank you for travelling with me!
I'll leave you with this wisdom found tucked in my personal journals and emails from friends. I think Peter might have had to comment, don't you? I hope they inspire you to be your best self!
Karen G.
"It's true...the only way to grow is to step outside of your comfort zone now and then."Sandy Bell-Lundy
Two Wolves: Which wolf wins?
One evening a grandfather told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said,
"My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all:
One is Evil –
It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is Good –
It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?" The grandfather simply replied, "The one you feed."
Peter Urs Bender was a master at delivering a clear message. Perhaps, because he challenged and overcame dyslexia to become a gifted speaker, Peter had a better understanding and ability to make the message clear so the audience understood.He made it a point to speak the language of his audience, to build friendly rapport, to fully tune in, to fully deliver the, What’s in itfor me?programming of every presentation. WII-FM - A Classic Audience Station. Tune in and be rewarded.
"Perfect Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance!" Peter Urs Bender
Reference:
Bender, P. (1991). Secrets of Power Presentations 5th Edition. Toronto. The Achievement Group.
WII-FM. Did I mean to type Wii™-FM?Has Nintendo™ added yet another module to their famous video game console? Nope!
WII-FM is classic audience radio! WII-FM has maintained top ranking on Peter Urs Bender’s playlist since Secrets of Power Presentations was released in 1991.
Translation, “What’s In It – For Me?”
(Bender, 1991, p. 52)
You can bet that all audiences ask this question even before they take their seats. They ask this question when they read the invitation. They ask this question when they give their credit card number to confirm their registration. And they definitely ask this question as the lights are lowered and you step out on stage.
What’s in it for me?If as a speaker, you have not prepared well and are not ready to deliver targeted, relevant, motivational and memorable material, you might as well wave to the crowd and leave. Don’t waste their time! From a quote in the fly leaf of my borrowed copy of Secrets of Power Presentations is the dedication that Peter Urs Bender wrote to an audience member, “Toronto, Oct. 94…as you know – even the greatest ideas – must be presented well!”
All the best techniques that Peter Urs Bender lays out in his book, Secrets of Power Presentations; (Bender, 1991, pp. 39-97)
modulate your voice,
use shorter words and phrases,
inject energy and enthusiasm,
use hand gestures to signal topic flow, and
use visual aids or technology
won’t guarantee your presentation’s success and you won't be presenting well if you haven’t tuned in to the audience. You know how annoying it is when your favourite Jazz station doesn’t play a clear signal. What do you do? You change stations! And that’s what the audience will do to you, an ill-prepared speaker, tune you out!
George Torok, co-authored with Peter Urs Bender, Secrets of Power Marketing. He shares with the authors and audiences of the text Business Communication Process and Product how he and Peter might have allocated their time when tackling the WII-FM question. He applies the 3x3 Writing Process model that Guffy et al. feature in Chapter 14 of the text. (Guffy, et al., 2011, p. 513)
Tune in to WII-FM - ANALYSE, ANTICIPATE, ADAPT
BE CLEAR ON YOUR PURPOSE.The very first, essential step in preparing a presentation is to be clear on the purpose …”be razor sharp before beginning.” (Guffy, et al., 2011, p. 513)Expect half of your preparation time in this step to be devoted to analysing the goal and committing to the key message of the presentation.
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE.Spend about 30% of your time to anticipate what content must go into your speech by getting to know your audience, the nature of the event and its purpose.Be prepared to focus on what the audience needs to know, their level of understanding of the subject, and the possible reaction to the information.Will the audience be jubilant?Will they be upset? Will you need to do some convincing, or will they be on-side?
ADAPT THE MESSAGE.Every part of your presentation must relate to your audience. You’ve allowed for the last 20% of your time to be about adapting your message.Plan your opening to address the special nature of the meeting or its location or relevance to the group. (Bender, 1991, p. 73) Your credibility can be established in the opening first minutes of your presentation if you do it right.
George Torok explains that if you have used the above 50/30/20 breakdown to prepare the outline in your first step, then the final two phases should flow easily as you complete the presentation and make ready to deliver it to your audience. (Guffy, et al., 2011, pp. 498-501)
PRE-WRITING - Step 1
Analyse / Anticipate / Adapt
WRITING PROCESS - Step 2
(Research / Organise / Compose)
REVISING-REHEARSING - Step 3
(Edit / Proof / Evaluate)
If you have been following the model and at every stage in the process, your every point or activity supports the purpose of your presentation, you can be sure that your audience will be tuned in!
KG
References: Bender, P. (1991. Secrets of Power Presentations 5th Edition. Toronto. The Achievement Group. Guffy, M., Rhodes, K. and Rogin, P. (2011). Business Communication - Process and Product 6th Canadian Edition Toronto. Nelson Education Ltd.
The music is "The Stopping Place" by Sam Cardon and Don Stirling from the album "Faithful" (licensed for use with this video)It is available on iTunes.
So...in this first week of March I need a little something, some extrasomething... something, to help me push through. With a jam-packed calendar of booked quizzes, mid-terms, assignments and…not to be overlooked, job hunting, cooking, cleaning, dog walking, sleeping – that “stuff”, I need a little pick me up.Many of you are doing the same thing this week.In lifting myself up to get started and keep going, I decided to share what works for me. I hope it does the same for you. Here we go!
Begin. Do. Lead by example. Build trust.Motivate yourself and others.You’ll be rewarded when you do. Self-motivation is triggered because we need something. Sometimes the hardest part is to identify what it is that we need. Sometimes we don’t know until we begin to act.The process is different for everyone.You need to discover what drives you, what fulfills you, and as you do, each small success feeds the next one.
With self-mastery, balance and success in your personal schedule at home, work and play, one of the happy side benefits is that in addition to your own inner glow -- all that positivity begins rubbing off and it will infect people around you in the best way possible – and then, ultimately, back to you!
Motivation can’t be forced.If you disagree with me, perhaps you are actually thinking about action.Actions canbe forced.If you are the boss, you make the rules; you assign the work; but, do you notice if people are very happy when you do?Your goal as leader is to create an environment where people are self-motivated to initiate and achieve the target outcome of tasks set by you because they trust you.
Now, back to you – how to motivate self?
Peter Urs Bender leads us to the how, many, many times in his writing as you will discover if you borrow one of his books from the library or buy a copy of one of the titles that speaks to you.From Motivate Others: Motivate Yourself, from Peter’s web site*, be inspired to step outside your comfort zone to achieve every goal on your list!
Set sensible goals – write them down – keep that list with you—check in often.
Read good books – a book written by Peter Urs Bender, for certain…but do some research.Talk to friends and your local librarian and read what interests you and catches your attention.There are great books out there!
Watch good movies, TV and Online – you’ll be surprised where you get your motivation!I know, you may be asking, “What is she thinking to recommend television or the internet, for that matter?”It’s not all dark, violence and junk.Be selective.I happily discovered the TED: Ideas worth Spreading website via this project assignment.You too, may be inspired!
Look after your body.Good health and fitness is an obvious motivator. When you feel great – you can get to great, and then you get out and do things.The process is self-perpetuating!
Work at rewarding projects.Do things you enjoy doing.If you are not working in a job right now that totally excites you – although, it may give you what you need materially (that’s the compromise you choose, by the way), make sure to include a project that allows you to feed your passion.Volunteer!Coach a sport team!Work with your hands.My sister-in-law makes her own greeting cards and sews beautiful quilts that she raffles off for charity.C’s creativity is respected and celebrated.She is approached often to contribute a project for an event.She also loves her job – in part, because she has created the time for play.
Last but not least, realize that you cannot always be UP!There are going to be days when it is hard to stay positive.Life can blindside us from time to time.That’s life.But don’t take anyone else with you, and don’t stay there after you’ve taken your self-approved short side trip to lick your wounds – begin preparing for the next positive moment immediately- it will happen before you know it!The system that is working for you, the one you set up last week by following Peter Urs Bender’s sage advice, does work!
KG
...You thought I was going to suggest something totally different, or maybe a Tim Horton's break, didn't you? They too know their marketing strengths, but, I chose the following uplifting message from another well-known sponsor…
Poetry by Ogden Nash Illustration by Etienne Delessert
I had to put in another endorsement for OVC Pet Trust and The University of Guelph.
I am diverting briefly away from my main topic, although 'whimsy' will cover me on this occasion.
The new Mona Campbell Centre for Animal Cancer has officially opened.The research to find cures continues.The more we research to find cures for cancer in our best friend the dog, and for all animals, the closer we will be to finding cures for cancers in humans.It is important work being done and I support it whole heartedly.
Dragons?Absolutely!Right here in Canada…courtesy of CBC ™ and Dragon’s Den ™
David Chilton, one of the newest venture capitalists to join Dragons’ Den, and author of The Wealthy Barber books, made a special appearance as guest speaker at a University of Guelph fundraiser this month.
My husband and I were pleased to secure tickets, not only to support the Ontario Veterinary College Pet Trust Fund and to hope to hear a few key tips from one of Canada’s experts in personal finance, but, as a student of communication, this was an opportunity for me to see and hear an expert speaker at work; an evening not to be missed.We were not disappointed.
David Chilton not only knows his subject, he knows how to engage an audience and keep them completely involved to the closing note.Mr. Chilton’s reputation as a gifted speaker is well known, and I went prepared with small notebook in hand to record my findings.I was not alone in this; and I could see several rows of seats were taken up with students. Many in the crowd, like my husband and I, had read the first ‘barber’ book, and knew the gems of wisdom that David was bound to deliver during the course of his talk.
As all great speakers do, David balances the pace and tone of his information and had clearly done his homework on the demographics of his audience.He tied in all the interest groups; the animal and dog lovers like himself, and the trustees and sponsors of OVCPet Trust Fund, fans of Dragons’ Den and his personal finance books, and geared his talk and humour to the varied ages of the audience and the setting.He laid out his plans to reveal some secrets about his newest colleagues at the ‘den’, dispelled some rumours, encouraged, informed and entertained to the time and topics he promised in his opening remarks.
What we learned:
David Chilton is both a humble and a gifted speaker:No need to retell his entire CV to introduce him.He was pleased to be there to speak to a local audience in support of a local cause, with all proceeds donated to the Pet Trust.(I’m pretty sure he’s read at least one of Peter Urs Bender’s books – he followed all of Peter’s ‘be a great speaker tips’!) His follow through is a class act too.He signed books and answered questions for another hour after the main event.
David Chilton is a humourist as well as an educator:He engages and entertains his audience from opening to close.We wanted more!
Yes, Kevin O’Leary and Arlene Dickinson do spar on and off the air honestly and heatedly – it is not faked for the cameras.
Yes, Kevin O’Leary really does love money that much and in spite of his abrasive personality is a pretty good guy.
Yes, they are wearing the same clothes in many episodes as 100 or so, 15 minute pitches per day, are taped to work with the Dragons’ travel calendars.
All earnings for Dragons are donated to charity – it is part of their contract with CBC.
Dragons’ Den promotes Entrepreneurship!And, it is one of the best family viewing shows on TV today.
Persistence is not futile! Looney Spoons cookbook creators and co-authors Greta and Janet Podleski, would not have successfully launched their famous cookbooks ideas without it!
You *must* try an Awake Chocolate bar – David's newest venture partnership that is set to take-off at a retailer near you!
TFSA or RRSP?Make decisions after you’ve done your homework.Income and tax bracket at time of withdrawal is a critical component! Allow for RRSP tax liability in Net Worth Statements -you pay tax at withdrawal.
Live within your means!Save for vacation!We have too much debt, too much stuff, too little in savings!
If your Mom says it’s a great idea – listen to her!
Good thingsdo happen to good people!
Be Happy!We are a nation of complainers.It affects productivity; it affects everything.
Do we need Power Point?
And no, he does not wear a toupee!
KG Ref: The CBC logo and Dragon's Den logo are trademarks of Canada Broadcasting Corporation. (For links to all websites visit the KEYNOTES main page)
I had an immediate, personal connection when I read this quotation while researching for today's post featuring the wisdom of Peter Urs Bender. This motto so closely echoes my own personal self talk, it gave me pause. I've added to mine the following, "...therefore, have no regrets for what has happened in your life so far. It is all relevant!"
The experiences of my life have given me the story of who I am. My past offers the clues to the woman I could be in the future if I choose to take certain paths as they are presented to me -- and, I believe, no matter what ageI may be now, there are still many doors remaining to be opened; until the last chapter, new experiences will call to me.
And about regret; was I foolish at times? You bet! I lived on campus in university. What student can say they did not give in to "foolish" at some point in their four years before or after graduation. Some of us may have a 30's something story, perhaps not foolish so much as ill advised, in the mix somewhere! Can't you recall a coming of age story that might curl the hair of your parents (or children for that matter)? It is all part of the great plan -- it is how we discover our values, our vision, our worth. Some of us seek the guidance of mentors, teachers, friends, faith leaders and employers. Some of our most valued experience to set us on the road to success was or will be the failure of a project, the loss of a job, or a best friend's too blunt advice to get our head out of our backsides and get on with it! Aren't we lucky to have a few friends like that! These lessons teach us how to lead ourselves, and by extension to lead others and to make the best use of our unique talents. No part of the journey should be clouded by regret. Celebrate who you are! Start from here!
Peter Urs Bender has been described as a self-taught leader. His journey was not without teachers however, as many came into his life because of the smart choices he made along the way. He had to overcome the challenges of dyslexia to be able to certify as an accountant, to learn English, to achieve success as a salesman. He did not do it alone, and he had a system that he applied to everything he did in order to guarantee success.
The Dale Carnegie® Training courses and the Toastmasters International membership were life changing decisions that would lead Mr. Bender to a 15 year teaching position at Ryerson University and to documented success as a public speaker and author. He restates his system for effective communication in all his written work. The essentials for business presentations are outlined in the text by Guffey, et. al, as featured in Secrets of Power Presentations.
Plan
Research your topic
Relate to the interests of your audience
Write
Customize the message
Practice
Practice
Practice
I wish to acknowledge the work of other Sheridan College Students encountered in my research for this post. Each of these individual works offer its own approach and I congratulate the authors. One piece stood out, which I share with you here. We learn from each other. Peter Bender endorsed this aspect of learning many times in his own work. Enjoy and stay tuned for future posts and my interpretation of the wisdom of Peter Urs Bender. KG
Ref: R. O'Keefe: December 2012 - Sheridan College Business Communications 12423
Thank you to David Thompson Watson McCord for the poetry. Mr. McCord was a published author,
a prolific poet and legendary Harvard fundraiser. He was noted for his creative, rhythmic, and often whimsical poems.
Books fall open, you fall in, delighted where, you've never been. Hear voices not once heard before, Reach world through world, through door on door. Find unexpected keys to things, locked up beyond imaginings…. True books will venture, Dare you out, Whisper secrets, Maybe shout, across the gloom, to you in need Who hanker for a book to read.” ― David T.W. McCord
Reading has always been my favourite way to spend an afternoon or make a long journey fly by! Books go with me everywhere along with a journal and a sketchbook. A Kobo arrived under the Christmas tree in recent years and we are now inseparable -- I embrace new technology when it may save me a pound or two of space in the backpack, but I still have such nostalgia for the beautiful feel of a well-made hard cover book; And, although I may lend my favourites to a friend or three from time to time, I am relieved when they return from their travels. With each adventure they may be a little more worn or have been gifted the occasional coffee ring, but it does not diminish their value and always comes with a friend’s story from the trail and some pearls of wisdom, and sometimes a new title to read in exchange.
Who is your favourite author? Do tell.... and lead us to an afternoon filled with a quiet browse through a beautiful coffee table art collection, to the backseat as a captivated onlooker in a spellbinding adventure or as a convert to the life altering wisdom available to us from the leaders, innovators and critical thinkers of our time. We want to know how they do it! We are motivated to test their theories!
As a student in Business Communications at Sheridan College this year, I have been reacquainted with the writings of well-known business leader and presenter, Peter Urs Bender. I have a plan for an afternoon soon with my new purchase - Gutfeeling: Instinct and Spirituality at Work. Mr. Bender is the author and co-author of other books in this genre which have guided college students and business leaders alike to look at themselves and their potential in a whole new way to achieve success. I will share what I find... soon....a new book beckons! KG
Blog Title Inspired by: "Books fall open..." D.McCord
Book Reference:
Bender, P. U. (2002). Gutfeeling - Instinct and spirituality@work. Toronto, ON: The Achievement Group.
View the full list of titles at the Booklist link.
When you accept the role as a Speaker you will lead your audience on a journey; and like an Airline Pilot, you are the Captain. You have the power to control the content of your pre-flight announcements, the comfort and enjoyment of the take off, the in-flight entertainment and the important final element, the landing.
Use one of Mr. Bender's tips from Secrets of Power Presentations to make your opening memorable... "Begin with a promise."
You must make sure your promise is realistic and achievable. If your goal for the seminar is to teach the audience how to deliver better presentations, you might tell them:
"After I finish this seminar, you will all be able to make much better presentations than ever before!"
When you close your speech, one of the final points of your closing will be to remind them of the promise you made and how you delivered on it. And Captain, as you arrive at the terminal, thank them for flying with you! KG
