Number 24: Civil Celebrity List.
June 11, 2012
Early Keith Richards
1. Pay attention to what’s going on. (Steve Jobs)
2. Practice compassion. (Dalia Lama)
3. Act. (Angelina Jolie)
4. Hold individuals accountable for what they do. (Beverley McLachlin)
5. Be clear in stating your case. (Martin Luther King)
6. Listen. (Oprah Winfrey)
7. Be prepared to change. (Barack Obama)
8. Avoid violence (physical and emotional). (Gandhi)
9. Remain genuine. (Keith Richards)
10. Treat others with the respect with which you’d like to be treated. (Jesus)
I expect people will have all sorts of other examples based on their age, spiritual orientation, country or areas of interest and passion. For me, putting names against the list made it come to life and not just seem like platitudes.
As a Keith Richards fan (member of the aged Rolling Stones for anyone under 20) and as I feel the constant pull of conformity erodes our genuineness, I have put up a picture of the man in my office. If you have time, read Keith’s book, Life. It is chock full of anecdotes from his rocker years and an excellent example of compelling story telling. Surprising that he can recall anything.
Describing some of the Stones earlier shows he says “on to Texas and more freak show appearances, in one case with a pool of performing seals between us and the audience.” What a visual.
Select one of the civil attributes you like, put the face of someone who represents that to you on it, and stick on your mirror where you will notice it for a week. See if it impacts your communication.
Visuals have always been important elements of communication and ever more so today. I have a friend who is at the forefront of the digital world and she keeps predicting the increasing use of video and visuals as our primary means of connecting. Just google infographics on any topic to see how people are presenting data and ideas in pictures and symbols.
Even radio stations recognize the value of visuals. I remember one outlet that had a picture of the couple that epitomized their audience everywhere in their building. From the deejays and newscasters to the sales team, you could not forget who you were talking to.
What visuals help you communicate? What picture do you create in your head when you are communicating? I envision people applauding enthusiastically at the end of my speeches.
In two weeks I will give you a method of rating yourself as a communicator. We are reaching the half-way point in this blog series and we need to benchmark how you are doing so we can see if this series helps you progress. Measurement and evaluation are important tools in effective interaction. Before the measurement, we need to learn how to deconstruct and debrief. I have seen studies that say we rank ourselves higher in surveys than our actual performance on just about any front. I know from first-hand experience after a “Board Peer Review” where I learned a thing or two about my own foibles. More on that in the next blog, Digging Shallow or Going Deep.
Visuals have always been important elements of communication and ever more so today. I have a friend who is at the forefront of the digital world and she keeps predicting the increasing use of video and visuals as our primary means of connecting. Just google infographics on any topic to see how people are presenting data and ideas in pictures and symbols.
Even radio stations recognize the value of visuals. I remember one outlet that had a picture of the couple that epitomized their audience everywhere in their building. From the deejays and newscasters to the sales team, you could not forget who you were talking to.
What visuals help you communicate? What picture do you create in your head when you are communicating? I envision people applauding enthusiastically at the end of my speeches.
In two weeks I will give you a method of rating yourself as a communicator. We are reaching the half-way point in this blog series and we need to benchmark how you are doing so we can see if this series helps you progress. Measurement and evaluation are important tools in effective interaction. Before the measurement, we need to learn how to deconstruct and debrief. I have seen studies that say we rank ourselves higher in surveys than our actual performance on just about any front. I know from first-hand experience after a “Board Peer Review” where I learned a thing or two about my own foibles. More on that in the next blog, Digging Shallow or Going Deep.
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