The Road Map

A Coach's advice for budget Q & A sessions

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:42:00 +0000

How to Handle a Tough Q & A Session Getting Your Budget Approved!
By Sheri Jeavons

Its budget time and you know what that means? You need to present your budget requests and get them approved! If you present your case well, your department will have the funds you need to excel. If you don't, you'll be left scrambling for creative ways to complete tasks and meet goals.

While many people adequately prepare their budget presentation backed with facts, charts, graphs, and detailed projections, they often forget about the question and answer session that follows. In many cases, this is the most important aspect of any budgetary meeting.

If you don't handle yourself with confidence and control, your credibility will plummet, regardless of your recommendations. Think of it as the make or break step to getting your budget approved. If you lose control of the question and answer session, you will inevitably lose control of the outcome. Here are some tips to ensure a successful question and answer session:

Tip 1: Confidence Sells
By remaining calm, cool, and in control when taking questions, you will project confidence in your self and your ideas. Tell yourself, "I deserve this money for my department, and I'm going to get it!" Clear your mind of all the other stresses of your day and focus on this one objective.

The more under control you're able to keep yourself, the more confident you'll appear, and the better you'll handle those tough questions. Remember, an acceptable answer is, "I do not know the answer, however, I will contact the appropriate person and respond by the end of the day."

Better that you admit what you don't know, than to appear unsure or give an incorrect answer. What is important is that you indicate you know where to get the information and you respond in a timely manner. The more in control you remain, the more the room will see you as confident in your recommendations.

Tip 2: Be Aware of What You Say and How You Say It
Take the time to think before you speak. When defending your position under tough questioning, your natural response is to be defensive. In budget meetings, defensive behavior is a recipe for disaster. Rather than say the first thing that pops into your mind, take a few seconds to collect your thoughts before you respond.

Pause and breathe deeply to give yourself time to formulate a correct and intelligent response. When you implement this technique, the audience will see you as thoughtful, decisive and respectful of the importance of their question.

When responding to a tough question, begin your answer by stating a goal of the group. This will help you verbally diffuse the negative tone and communicate a positive response. Be aware of your tone of voice as you answer questions. Keep your voice neutral yet professional. Keep your demeanor helpful and informative at all times.

Tip 3: Be Mindful of Your Body Language
Your physical conduct sends a message to the audience about your confidence level and expertise. Your body language must reflect the same confidence that your words portray. If you're standing, stand with your hips and head facing the person you're speaking to.

Keep both feet firmly planted on the ground shoulder width apart. This stance will allow you to gesture naturally and physically connect with the individuals in the audience.

If you're seated, sit upright in your chair with both feet planted firmly on the ground. Avoid slouching in your seat or leaning with your elbows on the table. Keep your hands on the table to allow for natural gestures. Look the other person in the eye to communicate a feeling of confidence.

Tip 4: Balance the Energy in the Room
You want to create an environment where everyone feels free to ask questions. We all have been in meetings when someone dominated the discussion or questions. It is important to show respect to everyone in the room. Knowing how to balance your energy will help everyone stay engaged and keep one person from controlling the conversation.

Begin your answer speaking directly to the questioner. As you continue speaking, begin to slowly move your eye contact to others in the room. This will help you to appear inclusive of others beyond the questioner. When possible, end your answer with someone other than the questioner. If you find you ended your answer on the person who asked the original question, you have just given them control and likely invited another question.

If you end on someone else, it will keep your energy open to everyone in the room and minimize tough follow-up questions from the original questioner. When you finish your answer, turn to the group and ask if they have any more questions. This will encourage others to engage because your body language tells them you are open. Remember, the goal is to keep the energy open to everyone in the room.

Show Me the Money!
Question and answer sessions can be tough, but when it comes to money matters, the stakes are usually high and questions are usually hard. When you keep these four tips in mind, you can handle any budgetary question and answer session with ease, and get the funding you deserve.

About the Author: Sheri Jeavons is known as the Virtual Presentation Coach. She is thefounder of Power Presentations, Inc., a company that specializes in presentation and communication skill training programs and products. A recognized expert in her field, Sheri has successfully trained more than 10,000 professionals across America. She was selected as one of the Top Ten Women Business Owners by the National Association of Women Business Owners and received the Working Woman Magazine Entrepreneurial Excellence Award. For more information, please visit http://www.power-presentations.com.
[source site: allisonripley.com]

Firefighting Advice for Leaders

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:11:00 +0000

See what firefighting advice Kevin Eikenberry, a leadership expert, has for leaders. It's sure to bring back some memories. Read putting out fires...

Opening With Flick

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:52:00 +0000

One important key to delivering a fine presentation is having a good opening. In previous posts we've posted strategies for opening your presentations. Today, were posting a clip by speaker Tom Flick.

Listen to Flick's opening to a corporate group. Take note of the humor (poking fun at himself), the way he builds credibility and how he gets the audience involved.

Motivational, Leadership, Business, Keynote Speaker Tom Flick - The funniest home videos are here

Powerful Openings

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 19:24:00 +0000

A study by the Navy determined the average adult attention span is 18 minutes (reported on
Kathy Reiffenstein's Blog). What does this mean for presenters? It means we have to open our presentations with a message that grabs the attention of our listeners within moments.

Looking for opening tips? Blogger and speaker Kathy Reiffenstein offers 6 powerful openings you can implement. They are:

1. Use a startling statistic
2. Use a quote that applies to your message
3. Tell a story
4. Ask a question
5. Start with the end
6. Show a video

Read more on these tips...

Being Politically Savvy and Ambitious

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Fri, 29 May 2009 23:58:00 +0000

While listening to a lengthy Jack Welch interview, I came across three points that made me rewind the clip. Though I believe at this time he was hawking his book, he did offer some good information.

Now back to the 3 points. Welch was asked for his remarks on how to balance being politically savvy in your career and company with your personal ambitions. He says:

Have the ability to over deliver. Welch says if you want to be a star in your career, you have to constantly go above expectations. He goes on to say you should be positive that you are over delivering.

Have a positive attitude. This doesn't mean being Mr./Ms. Sushine. Having a positive attitude is more about having a can-do attitude.

Don't wear your ambition in a neon light. It's important to work in the framework of the team. He says that if you make your team and boss look good, rewards will come your way.

See former General Electric CEO, Jack Welch, comments in the clip.

Burn, Baby Burn

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Mon, 25 May 2009 12:00:00 +0000

A couple days of ago, I came across this short inspirational message on success. It struck me because the message wasn't anything new or complicated- the words were as I remembered from my high school business club years. Our business club sponsor would tell us we needed to do this to be successful.

Check out this clip for a classic success message.

Going Blank During a Presentation

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Sat, 23 May 2009 12:00:00 +0000

According to most surveys, the number one fear of most people is the fear of giving a speech. And the greatest fear of all -- at least when it comes to speaking — is the fear of having your mind go completely blank. When Your Mind Goes Blank

Stop the Guilt Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Sat, 23 May 2009 00:28:00 +0000

In a recent training class, the participants and I got on the discussion of working with the passive aggressive types -- those who try to manipulate you by laying a guilt trip on you. Have you experienced this type? Or heard about this type?

Here is an excerpt from an article , "Managing Passive Aggressives," that discusses dealing with passive aggressive behavior:

You know that fighting does no good. Anyone who has fought or argued with a Passive Aggressive knows you can't win. Their ability to reframe and live in denial is legendary. "Well I meant NO SUCH THING! How could you THINK that?"

Read Beth Terry's full post for a tip on how to stop the manipulation.

What Distinguishes Great Leaders

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Thu, 21 May 2009 22:00:00 +0000

Dr. Annie McKee, a leadership expert and co-founder of the Teleos Institute, shares her thoughts on what distinguishes great leaders. She says exceptional leaders capture passion.

My favorite segment of the interview is when Dr. McKee discusses leaders owning their personal power. When you hear the discussion, you'll get the full meaning of owning your power.

Listen to the AMA Podcast series to hear What Distinguishes Great Leaders.

Teleos Leadership Institute is a global consulting firm founded in 2002 by leadership experts Dr. Annie McKee (dubbed by Business Week as "The High Priestess of Executive Coaching") and Dr. Frances Johnston.

What Can Leaders Learn from a Former Pro Football Player?

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Wed, 20 May 2009 00:41:00 +0000

What is the key to team success? Read what a former pro football players says about this topic. Here's an excerpt from the article on Portfolio.com:

As a football player, Wheeler was never one of the stars on the team, but he found that by focusing on the value he brought to the field, he was able to make himself an integral part of the team. He also knows that in understanding his unique contributions, he understands his weaknesses as well.

"I have applied that lesson to my second career as far as understanding myself and my strengths, understanding my blind spots, understanding the things I do well, understanding the things I don't do well," he says. "And then putting a team around me that's phenomenal in those areas. I always surround myself with people that are a lot smarter than I am."

Read Kickoff to New Heights on Portfolio.com

StevePavlina.com Podcast #012 - Building Confidence

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Sun, 17 May 2009 21:34:00 +0000

I first heard this podcast months ago. When the topic of building confidence came up in my Sunday school class, I shared a few tips from this podcast-- visualize, speak confidently, move with confidence, and use external stimuli. Listen to Steve's message and let me know what confidence building techniques you utilize.

StevePavlina.com Podcast #012 - Building Confidence

Posted using ShareThis

Great Band Leader's Tip for Getting Things Done

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Fri, 15 May 2009 01:14:00 +0000

Great advice on getting that huge task done...

As the great band leader Duke Ellington once remarked, "I don't need time . . . I need a deadline!" With a deadline, and with a taskmaster as well, say a mentor or coach or editor, something great may magically emerge from an otherwise uncomfortable and unconfident beginning.

Source: The Expert's Edge: Become the Go-To Authority People Turn to Every Time by Ken Lizotte

Avoidance techniques and group speaking

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:00:00 +0000

What makes public speaking so difficult? One expert says from her experience, people are afraid of being judged. Some people have this thing about looking good and not looking bad.

Janet E. Esposito, President of in the SpotLight, LLC, a company devoted to helping people overcome their fear of public speaking and performing, knows a thing or two about the fear of public speaking.

She goes on to say we are protective of our public image, and do not won't to risk damaging it by putting ourselves in the spotlight -- front and center.

Listen to Janet Esposito on LearnFromMyLife.com

Own The Stage

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Mon, 11 May 2009 05:06:00 +0000

This video offers tips you can use to prepare for your next
presentation. These guys are fine teachers and great speakers.

Ways to Manage Corporate Culture

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Thu, 07 May 2009 12:07:00 +0000

Can frontline managers influence organizational culture? According to W.P. Carey management professor Angelo Kinicki, frontline managers can have a huge impact on culture. In this podcast: Culture Eats Strategy for Lunch, Kinicki discusses how to identify your corporate culture and how to manage it.

If you are trying to set a new strategic direction within your group, team or organization -- this podcast is valuable to you.

Ways to manage culture

Tips to Manage Overachievers

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Tue, 05 May 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Are you looking for tips to manage the overachievers on your team? In the article 'How to Manage Overachievers," the author gives you huge tip. She says, "you need to understand their personality type and build a relationship on trust, so they know you have their best interest in mind. " See the article to read more.

She also discusses four ways to spot an overachiever; a technique to get the best out of them; strategies on how to inspire not command overachievers; ways to help overachievers accept failure; and strategies to help them fit into the team. Check out this great article on bNET.

Two Important Skills for Career Success

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Fri, 01 May 2009 03:52:00 +0000

To be successful it is important to have good communication skills. Diana Booher, a communication consultant to Fortune 500 clients says, "The two most important skills to your career success are the ability to speak and write well."

If your goal is to improve your career through enhanced communication skills, remember improvement is a contact sport. To speak better, speak; to write better, write.

To Smart For Your Own Good?

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:17:00 +0000

Why trying to impress people with your smarts might not be a good idea. Coach and business leader Olivia tells us...

Who is your Chief Performance Officer?

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 23:29:00 +0000

What drives performance in your organization? Before you answer -- Josh Bersin, of Bersin & Associates, discusses their research findings that points out what should be driving performance in your organization. He writes,

Organizations with a strong "learning culture" are 12-15% more
profitable over a 10 year period than those without such a learning
culture (The High Impact Learning Organization(r), 2008).
Organizations with strong competency-based performance management
processes drive higher revenue growth and profitability by industry (The
Role of Competencies in Driving Financial Performance, 2007).

This research brings to light the importance of expanding people horizons and knowledge. In my opinion, when people are engaged and expected to deliver results--the entire organization wins. So, even if you're not the chief performance officer, you can still increase team performance.

Invincible and Charged Up

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:15:00 +0000

It’s 9:00 Tuesday morning. In a half hour you have a big meeting with the executive team discussing your project. But you’re nervous about delivering the presentation before the group, so you review the material from that How to Deliver Winning Presentations seminar you attended --to help ease your mind.

The clock hits 9: 45am, and you’re feeling invincible and charged up because the coaching you received at the seminar gave you the tools you needed to keep your audience engaged and informed.

Your off to the Meeting

Next, you gather your presentation, you’re out the door, down the hall way to the meeting room with big leather chairs. You step inside, greeting the other participants with a big handshake and a smile, unlike other times when you’d take a quick seat. Charged up and ready to go, you even make small take with the new VP. All because you are not focused on blowing your presentation, but focused on connecting with your audience.

It's Showtime

Fifteen minutes into the meeting, you are called up for your presentation. During your opening introduction, the participants move to the edges of their seat. Why? Because you are tuned into station WIIFM (what's in it for the audience). They are engaged. They are listening. They are awake. You are rolling.

After the Meeting

You think to yourself, “If only every presentation could be like this…Why, I just might get promoted. "

Could this really happen to you? Don’t be surprised if it does.

Presentation Skills Training Works

Will you become a professional speaker with a few hours of training? No, but you will gain the skills to influence your audience through your message. You do want to become more influential...right?

Get started transforming yourself into a more confident and effective leader--sign up for a presentation skills course that will offer techniques to help you connect with an audience.

Create a Culture of Fulfillment

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:00:00 +0000

You hear horror stories about people working in jobs that they dread going to on a daily basis. It's hard to imagine, but a quick read of the newspapers proves it to be true. There is even a website called, I hate my work, where people can share their angst for their job.

Thinking on this subject, whose fault is it that people hate their work? Are the employees to blame? Or is management on the hook?

Patrick Lencioni, author of The Three Signs of a Miserable Job, believes management can play a role in creating a culture of job fulfillment. He points out that management should be aware of the 3 signs of a miserable job. They are:

ANONYMITY
People want to feel understood and appreciated

IRRELEVANCE
Employees want to know their work matters to someone.

NO MEASUREMENT
Team members need a way of measuring the performance. Find a way to measure their progress.

This job fulfillment idea may be tough for you to swallow. For some, it may be weird trying to help employees find fulfillment in their job. What are the benefits of creating a culture where people experience job fulfillment?

Increased Productivity
Greater Retention and Lower Costs
Sustainable Cultural Differentiation

I recommend reading The Three Signs of a Miserable Job. When you're finished reading it, let me know your thoughts.

Building and Sustaining Trust in Organizations

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:12:00 +0000

George Ambler, of The Practice of Leadership blog, write an interesting article titled How Leaders Build Trust, discussing a trust model and roadmap to help leaders build trust. The transactional trust model was developed by Dennis and Michelle Reina, founders of the Reina Trust Building Institute and the authors of "Trust and Betrayal in the Workplace."

One aspect of the model centers around contractual trust, or "how expectations are managed and how boundaries are set." To improve your level of contractual trust, focus on being consistent, managing expectations, keeping agreements and delegating appropriately.

Another component of the model centers around...

Words That Kill Creativity

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:59:00 +0000

If you want to spur on creativity in your group, take a cue from author Ken Lizotte. Lizotte in his book, The Expert's Edge: Become the Go-To Authority People Turn to Every Time, says there are a few phrases thoughtleaders should not speak because they kill creativity. They are:

"We tried that before."
"It's a good idea, but we really don't have time to implement it."
"You're joking, of course."
"That's all very well in theory, but practically speaking . . . "
"Top management will never go for it."
"But we've never it done it that way before."
"I'm afraid you're ahead of your time."
"Has anyone else ever tried it?"
"We should form a committee and study this idea further."

I was just thinking--I hear we should form a committee--all the time. Have you used such phrases before? What do you think of Lizotte's comments?

Leading a Global Virtual Team

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 06:54:00 +0000

Are you losing sleep over the thought of leading a virtual team? If you are, you are not alone. Each time I work with groups scattered across the U.S., I'm always thinking on how I can make the process run smoother.

I ran across this article on the Great Leadership blog that gives tips on leading a global virtual teams. The author is answering a reader's question. My favorite tip:

#4. Spend a lot of time "off-line" with individual team members. Schedule 1on1s in-between full team calls with each team member for coaching... read 10 tips on how to lead a global virtual team for additional strategies to help you lead effectively.

Eric Feng: The People Magnet

noreply@blogger.com (Ron Bland) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 07:16:00 +0000

Are you searching for techniques to keep your audience engaged? One look at this video,

and you'll see several techniques you can implement in your next presentation. Eric, the speaker, is a people magnet.

First of all, notice how the speaker gets the audience involved by asking a question. At the 10 sec mark--he encourages participation by asking for a show of hands. If you notice, he didn't ask (verbally) everyone to raise their hand, but by raising his hand while asking a question, the audience followed his lead.

Next, people love to hear stories. Eric's story of childhood romance and his first date, is something that his audience could relate to. He shared his obstacle and the outcome.

The last item I want to point out is Eric's use of humor. Review the video and judge for yourself. Was the audience rolling with laughter? If you want people to stay with you during your presentation, look at ways to add some humor. You don't have to be a comedian, but you would benefit from sharing humorous stories, pictures or props.