The Weekly Wrap Up – First Goal than Plan

Welcome to the weekly wrap up from Jason Bradshaw

The weeks podcasts have included
-    Winning verse Solving Problems.
-    This Is It – live your passion.
-    Focus, Mission & Strategy.
-    Why goal before plan.
-    Winning lotto – why wait?

This week the main theme has been on creating a crystal clear vision of what you want to achieve and then creating a plan to achieve them. Following on from last weeks action I continue to promote that having a bias for action is the number one way to achieve your goals.

Throughout the week we have explored the concept of creating a vision board, a visual representation of what it will look and feel like when you achieve your goals. I shared with you a great free resource www.visisonstatement.org.au

In addition I encouraged you to ACT NOW and find just one thing that you could use to start your vision board. I hope you took the time to find something to et you started on the journey of achieving your goals.

A common question I get asked about vision boards is, “What if my goals change?” The answer to this is a simple – update your vision board. Not only is it perfectly normal to refine you’re your vision and goal as your life experiences change but it will help you achieve your goals. As your clarity level concerning your aspirations and goals increases so will your action plans improve.

The power of a vision board is amplified when you take time out each day to look at it to help us stay focused on our goals. Attached to the vision board is your action plan this can be as simple or as detailed as you need, the important thing is to remember it  needs to be bite-sized steps.

Bite-size steps are not only easier to complete, easy to catch up if you fall behind schedule, but also allow you to achieve and feel success sooner. The experience of success, the joy of success and a time out to congratulate your progress helps build excitement and momentum towards achieving your bigger goals and vision.

Of course I can’t leave it at that without sharing more resources. The first is Oprah Winfrey’s website http://www.oprah.com/subtopic/money/career Oprah has teemed up with a number of people to bring everyone some fantastic FREE resources to help build our careers.

At Oprah’s website you will find some great tips for bringing passion back in to your job, and how you can make the job one that you love to do that plays to your strengths and energises you – it’s free have a look asap.

Before I close out this week I take the time to pay my respects to Michael Jackson’s family and to honour Mr Jackson for his passion, devotion and talent that he brought to all of us through his music.

I recently saw Michael Jackson’s This Is It Movie and it reinforced so many key learning’s to me but perhaps most importantly the importance of humility and respect.

So in closing thank you to everyone that allows me to learn from them and to everyone who lets me share my knowledge with.

As always I look forward to hearing from you.

Jason Bradshaw

The Weekly Wrap Up - A bias for action.

This weeks podcasts have included
-    Hope, Dreams & Actions
-    Don’t just care-take, lead.
-    Have a bias for action.
-    Don’t hold yourself back.

The theme this week has been regarding my fundamental belief that you need to have a bias for action.

When I look at some of the people that inspire me Nelson Mandela, Rudy Giuliani, Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey and so on they all share one thing (at least) in common – a bias for action. They set goals and move towards them as a matter of daily life.

This doesn’t mean that they, you or I need to make great leaps each day but that we have a plan that has regularly achievable steps that helps us move towards our goal attainment.

The key here is both the plan and a genuine commitment to achieve the plan with an understanding that any motion forward, towards the goal, is better than inaction.

As our life experiences grow we quite often get caught up in the need to be right or to have all the ducks lined up before we move forward. This is in contrast to kids, take a baby for example, when they go to make their first step they aren’t held back by the possibility of failure or being wrong they just keep on trying until they can walk.

What is stopping you from walking, jogging, running towards your goals?  What can you do right now to move towards your goals?

If you’re not sure what to do why not start by building a simple plan and picturing what achieving it will look like and feel like. Your plan doesn’t need to be sophisticated it can simply be a list of steps, tasks if you will, that you need to complete and by when to achieve your goal.

Finally don’t beat yourself up if at first you are slow or even behind on completing a task, over time the momentum you build will help you make up any lost ground and before you know it you will have achieved your goal.

Finally if it’s better to have loved and lost than never have loved all -  it must also be true to have tried and not succeeded is better than have never tried at all.

I would love to hear how you have achieved your goals, so feel free to drop me a note.

Have a great week.

Jason Bradshaw

The weekly wrap up.

My last 5 podcasts have been

1. Are you building a remarkable brand?
2. Public Speaking
3. Tips to a great script.
4. Visual Aids in Presentations
5. Handling Online Customer Inquirers
   

This weeks theme was public speaking, something I get to do a lot of and thankfully enjoy. However research suggests that most people fear public speaking more than death itself. Over a series of three podcasts I share my tips for effective presentations to help you.

As I write this summary I am actually on a break mid a two-day conference, which over that time will feature fourteen different speakers. Already I have seen audiences run batteries on phones flat from their lack of engagement and herd discussions around the presenter not living up to the promise their bio or topic suggested. 

This proves to myself as a timely reminder of the need for presenters to deliver on their topic but also to take the time to prepare, rehearse and refine their presentations ahead of time.

I highlighted in my podcasts that a common mistake people make is to have this fear of creating a script. I know when I see someone walk up on stage with a script it gives me confidence that they have valued my time (and theirs) enough to prepare adequately. What is your reaction when you see someone with a script? Why do you feel this way?

Core to an effective script is a central theme that is introduced early to the audience in a relatable manner. I often do this through the introduction of a real life example so that people can picture in their mind the practical application of what I am promoting.

When I am preparing a script I ask these three questions

1. What is the number 1 thing I want people to take away from my presentation?
   
2. What independent evidence is there to support my view?
   
3. What questions might my audience ask?
   

The answer to question one should be your central theme, which is reinforced regularly throughout the presentation so as to ensure that everyone in the room hears it and understands it.

Next to speakers not being prepared with a script the 2nd biggest area of confusion I see is around the use of visual aids such as videos and slides (powerpoint/keynote).  As the name suggests they should be an AID to your presentation not used to replace you or distract your audience.

Simple slides with only a couple of points or a single image can be much more effective than a slide full of text and images. Remember the audience came to hear what you have to say not read your presentation on the screen.

I personally use video’s and slide packs in many presentations but I follow these 3 golden rules, in doing so.

1. Slides do not replicate my script – they support it.
   
2. Audio or Video inserts are used to keep the energy high in the presentation and give the audience a break from my voice (and my voice a break)
   
3. I rehearse my entire presentation and look for ways to reduce the slide pack even further.
   

I am confident that if you apply the above tips and golden rules to  your next presentation you will be more confident and deliver your key messages more effectively than ever before.

Of course if I can be of assistance drop me a line and we can work out a coaching pack to meet your needs.

Have a great week.

Jason Bradshaw

PS – I love feedback in all forms, good, bad or otherwise so feel free to drop me an e-mail at any time. Also don't be afraid at the end of your presentations to ask people to provide feedback - it could just be a great ego boost or unlock the pathway to a more effective presentation.

A special announcement by Jason Bradshaw

Today Jason Bradshaw confirmed his sponsorship of the 2009 DIVA Awards – Sydneyʼs Drag Industry Awards. Jason said that he was excited to be one of the founding sponsors of AVID Events Limited, the new organisation formed to continue the tradition of DIVA.

Read More Here 

The weekly wrap up.

My last 5 podcasts have been

•    The changing face of customers.

•    Members verse customers.

•    Taking your business online.

•    Pickup a book today.

•    Customer feedback.

With customers being the central theme of the last 5 podcasts I thought I would take the time to expand further on the need for engaging customers.

Let me clarify from the outset that I believe everyone has a customer, no matter what your job is, if you are providing goods or services to someone you have a customer. This customer can be internal or external to the business, but regardless they deserve your best levels of delivery.

It is also my belief that it is customers that keep an organisation, business unit or indeed a role going. Customers are the lifeblood, the profit, the reason a business continues to exist.

It therefore alarms me that so many businesses fail to engage customers and leverage strong relationships to help the business grow.

A general business principle is that it costs more to attract a new customer than it does to retain an existing one. So why do we ignore this relationship so much? Is it really that hard to ask for feedback, act on it, and keep customers engaged during the process of continuous improvement?

Over complicating things, or thinking things need to be perfect before acting are excellent ways to stall your business growth. International business consultant Tom Peters, amongst others, confirm the most successful business owners are those that have a bias for action. Sure they get things wrong along the way but their bias for action keeps them moving forward and towards bigger and better successes.

I can help your business implement simple, repeatable customer engagement processes that will build customer loyalty and grow your business.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Happy career/business building.

Jason Bradshaw  

PS - have you got something you would like me to share some bite sized tips on? Email the details through and I will see if I can help.