The best part of my recent keynote at Vonk wasn’t anything I said. It was what the attendees shared. At the end of my talk I handed out cards with a single statement on it:
“How I once lit the path”
I asked everyone to fill it out and hang it on the wall in the back of the room. And that was golden. It was living proof for something I deeply believe in: When you’re in a room full of smart people, all you need to do is to tap into the brilliance of everyone.
I love how different the stories were. Here are a few that caught my eye:
“By showing a company that it’s not about them. In communication, it’s about the people they serve.”
I can so relate to this. Most businesses write messages to pass 12 rounds of approval which means they are much more written to please the boss than to resonate with the customer. Change that and customers will lean in.
“I started communicating with a more personal tone, which made employees feel more connected.”
That’s the kind of change most people underestimate. Tone is what tells people whether you actually mean it.
“I helped our management team carry out a tough restructuring with authentic, respectful, and empathetic communication.”
That’s so difficult, especially when the news is bad. But it matters so much.
“I had a beer with my opponents.”
Perfect. Sometimes the best progress starts when you stop defending your position and start talking like humans again.
“Gave confirmation, said thank you, so they knew they were on the right path.”
So simple. Yet that’s all that’s sometimes needed: to know you’re seen and that your effort matters.
“I helped the management team define their KPIs in a way that every coworker could understand.”
We need not simpler goals, but clearer ones. So clear that they actually make sense for the people tasked with bringing the strategy to life.
How did you once light the path?
Keep the light on,
Michael
PS: If you want to bring this spark into your organization, I still have a few Q1 dates open for keynotes. Just hit reply!
