Shot of Energy
Monthly Archives: December 2010
A successful professional speaker (I hate to say motivational speaker because it has a negative feel to it ever since SNL’s Chris Farley and the van down by the river) understands the power of words. We speakers know that a few choices words have the ability to connect, enrage, engage, inspire, and inform. One of the best ways keynote speaker’s inspire others is by using quotes in there presentations.
Fred Shapiro, Associate Librarian for Yale Law School, just released his annual version of the most notable quotes. Each year, Shapiro picks quotes that are reflective of the times we live in. The quotes aren’t necessarily the most intelligent or admirable but some of them are very telling .
That said, several colleagues have asked what I attribute my busy keynote speaking schedule to, being that it has been such challenging times? The answer is simple… The Generations!!!
I started studying and talking about the Generations in 2007. My tried and true program on Personal Branding has a component in it where I ask the audience 4 questions:
* Who are you?
* What do you do?
* Who do you do it for?
* And … What makes YOU better and different from the rest?
When I got to the question, “Who do you do it for?” I realized that no matter what business you are in, you are going to rub up against Gen Y! If you haven’t noticed, Gen Y is changing the way we do business and they are changing workplace behaviors. Leadership and management will never be the same! Continue reading
Mingling is the ultimate small talk test. For me, making small talk has always made me feel uneasy. Very early on my career, I remember saying: “Well, I don’t understand the point. Small talk, it’s phony and boring. I don’t want to have anything to do with it.” But as my career progressed, I realized the role and importance of small talk. It helps lie down a foundation for future interactions and helps you build a rapport which of course is an important networking skill. Continue reading
