A Diamond in Disguise

In the end, it wasn't the small thing I did by taking Claire to the cinema that counted. Not in the least, even if that was how it started....

It was all the amazing and wonderful things that she taught me in the nine years that we were friends. It started as 'just some voluntary work', and turned into one of the most incredible, cherished experiences of my life.

Claire taught me about honesty, about being yourself (unashamedly), about being in touch with the how she really felt (even on days she cried with sadness). She taught me by example how to sing along with gusto and enthusiasm at the cinema and not give a damn what anyone thought; and to love pink and never even contemplate that there could be such as thing as "too much pink". In fact I don't think she ever thought that she could have "too much" of anything that made her happy - when we chose perfectly and she loved a film, she wanted to see it again, NOW preferably, but tomorrow would do. And when she didn't like a film, she was equally up front about that too.....

When she told me many years ago that I was her "best friend" she really meant it, and it touched me all the more for the genuine honesty of her words.

Too many people would write off Claire, because of how she looked, not realising that inside was one of the most amazing and precious people I have ever been blessed to meet. I will cherish these memories for the rest of my life. Monday's will always be "Claire's night".

To know that I will never see that smile again breaks my heart.... But I'm glad that my heart is bursting with love for her - she was amazing. Nine years was a long time, but for me, it was still far too short.

If you ever think of volunteering, just know this: it will change and enrich your life in ways you can never imagine. Next time you see someone with Down's Syndrome, look beyond your prejudice and you'll see a diamond in disguise.

I took Claire to the cinema.

She gave me so much more.

PowerPoint Slide Design Lesson #4

Your slides are not an all-you-can-eat buffet!

This is a replica of a genuine slide from a recent talk I attended.  The knowledge of the presenter was fantastic, the delivery okay - the presenter closed his eyes when he faced the audience - but the slides....

Each slide was a visual feast -in the style of an "all you can cram onto your plate" buffet, and our eyes definitely overate!

There were too many clashing elements: large uneven boxes with harsh black lines, a mishmash of fonts and tiny, irrelevant images.  And just how many synonyms do you need for Scholarship and Wisdom?


To my mind, all the slide needed to have on it was this.



Then you narrate around the elements, guiding your audience through the cycle.  The presenter clearly knew his stuff, so why he put so much on the slides, I may never know.

PowerPoint Slide Design Lesson #3

Your slides are not your resume nor your CV. 
Establishing your credibility at a presentation is not about telling them what you have done and how important you are.  Your presentation is not about you at all.

It is all about your audience. 

You will be credible if you

• connect with your audience
• demonstrate you understand their needs and their challenges, and 
• give them practical solutions to their problems.  

Make their life better and you will gain all the credibility and respect that a slide like this simply will not.

this is a genuine example from a recent presentation in the UK by a corporate coach.  I have removed personal details and the corporate logos to maintain their anonymity.

PowerPoint Slide Design Lesson #2

Your slides are NOT your handouts.

Sure PowerPoint has printing options that let you print 3, 6 or more slides per page of handouts, with or without lines alongside for your learners to make their own notes.

But if your slides contain enough information to be great handouts, then they are lousy slides.

Slides are not written materials - they are not handouts, booklets, or reading matter. They are visual stimulation to add a new communication mode to your oral presentation or narration.

In the opening scenes of a movie, the narrator doesn't describe the scene ("the camera hovers over the roofs of buildings in New York...."). What would be the point?

PowerPoint Slide Design Lesson #1

In a presentations, your slides are NOT your presenters notes - they should not be written to remind you what to say!

If you want to remember what to say...
* learn the story of your presentation
* jot a few reminders on small postcards, just in case you forget
* practise, practise, practise

Keep your slides for powerful images that enhance your narrative and connect with your audience.

Playing Pays Dividends on Profits

Easter is just around the corner and the sun is shining - time for some fun and games. Whatever your age, child-like qualities such as a sense of fun and a vivid imagination can not only make your life more enjoyable, they can make your business more profitable too!

Take laughter - adults laugh on average 15 times a day - children do that before breakfast, laughing on average 20 times more often than adults. Laughter is indeed magical - it creates an instant feelgood boost, but has hidden benefits to your health: it strengthens your immune system, lowers blood pressure, stimulates blood flow and boosts cardiovascular fitness.

Whilst laughter and work don't often seem to go hand in hand, perhaps they should....

The Proven Benefits of a Lighter Workplace:

Research has shown that humour and play in the workplace can have a dramatic impact on both people and profits:

* Improved morale
* Improved relationships
* Increased creativity (up to 50% at science giant Monsanto)
* Breakthroughs in productivity
* Increased job satisfaction (and thus reduced staff turnover)
* Better and faster decision-making
* Reduced customer complaints

So today, over Easter and then, hey let's go for it, for the rest of your life, your mission if to be light hearted at work.

To laugh. To share jokes. To dance and sing in the corridor (try it in the loos, it really freaks people out!). To instigate a 'worst holiday photo ever' competition. To have a 3pm dance-off in the elevator. To skip to your next meeting - preferably arm in arm with someone else. To have an impromtu picnic in the park and play frisbee. To go out and buy a round of ice-creams for your team. To prefix everyone's names with King, Queen, Prince or Princess next week in honour of the Royal Wedding.

To find a steep grassy hill and roll down it - it'll take your breath away! To see how giddy you can get on a roundabout looking up at the sky. To stop calling it 'work' and start calling it 'paid-play' - and watch the expressions as you tell people you're off to "paid play" in the morning!

Not enough suggestions? Get out your crayons, sit on the floor and brainstorm some more... or if you're really stuck in the mud visit this website which lists 101 of them...

The question is this - how old would you be, if you didn't know how old you are? Me? Somewhere around 12 and three quarters, going on 21!!!

Vivid Visuals Bring Words to Life

A vivid visual is one of the most powerful and universal means of communicating with impact. Whether it's sharing a photograph of a special event, or explaining how to assemble your flatpack furniture, nothing beats great a picture (or frustrates as much as a bad one!). But instead of just telling you about them, let me help you experience it for yourself....

Think of an elephant.

No, not one like that.

An especially vivid one: a tiny, purple and silver striped elephant, shiny and crinkly, about 2 inches tall and standing in the palm of your hand right now. She's called Betsy and is trumpeting, pa-pah pa-pah as she stomps around in a circle, which kind of tickles your palm a little bit and makes you smile. She keeps looking at your for reassurance - with her deep black eyes and soft eyelashes, and her big ears billowing. How cute is she? Did the image of her make you smile? Did you (almost) hold your hand out to look at her more closely (I did!).

How real is this elephant to you now? When it comes to your brain, the purple Betsy elephant you have imagined is just as real as if she had really been in your hand - you used the same bits of your brain to imagine her as you do to see her for real.

And will you remember her? You bet!

Imagine then, how a few simple words, specifically designed to create clear and vivid pictures can transform the impact you have when you communicate with other people. A few words can literally bring something alive inside their minds.

So before you start crafting a letter, an email, a presentation, decide on the image you want to create in the minds of your audience. And if you can link a number of images to make a story, or movie, even better.