On to something new

Heading there means leaving here.

Change becomes easier once we acknowledge that.

What will we gain?
But also, what will we miss?

What’s pulling us ahead?
But also, what’s holding us back?

Some change initiatives fail because they are framed as “here it’s bad” vs “there it’s glorious”.

But it’s hardly ever black and white.
In fact, it’s often not an easy choice.
For some team members, it’ll be a tough journey.

Instead of dismissing the “here”, it would make it easier for them if we embraced the fact that some things have actually been pretty good over here.

In moving forward, we do not have to forget the past.

We can carry forward our experiences, our lessons,
the very essence of who we are.

This is what transforms the journey into our journey.

Pretty good

You know those talks where you zone out, even if the speaker’s trying really hard? You clap at the end, maybe even smile, but once it’s over, you just… forget it. Everything goes back to the way it was.

It’s not always because the slides are boring or the talk’s too long. Some of these talks are actually pretty good. But “pretty good” isn’t cutting it. It doesn’t make you want to get up and do something different.

Now, think about those rare talks where you’re hooked from the start. You start feeling a bit restless, like you can’t just sit there. The speaker’s not just talking at you, they’re challenging you. Your old ways of thinking start to feel, well, old.

After one of these talks, going back to “business as usual” feels wrong. It’s like trying to put on a shoe that doesn’t fit anymore. Sure, you can choose to ignore what you’ve just heard, but you’ll know you’re doing it. And that choice? It’s on you.

That’s the power of a great presentation. It lights a path so irresistibly bright that doing nothing feels tougher than taking action.

PS: Check if your presentations do the job.

We can’t say it in one sentence can take an unexpected turn.

Or life, for that matter.

Maybe you never wanted a career in marketing turned out to be your passion.

Or you thought you were bad at public speaking is now what people admire you for.

Perhaps you thought that you need to be born as a genius is actually the result of hard work.

And when it looks like someone’s locked the status quo can actually change.

Where has your perspective seen an unexpected shift?

(Inspired by this brilliant campaign using “reverse sentences”.)

How not to change minds

Insisting that you are right and the others are wrong has never changed anyone’s opinion.

Repeating the same arguments, only louder, doesn’t work, either.

Making fun of someone’s argument won’t encourage anyone to re-consider that argument.

And decorating an argument with sarcasm (even when it’s hilarious) won’t open anyone’s mind to that argument.

I’ve always found it way more helpful to assume that the other person is at least as smart as I am and that there’s a reason for why they don’t see what (I think) I see.

Another helpful attitude when you want to change someone’s mind is to be open to changing yours, too. Getting it right is so much more useful than being right at all cost.

What? You don’t enjoy public speaking?

“What do you mean you don’t enjoy public speaking?”
My friend was surprised to learn that his peers had perceived him as a fantastic public speaker. When he shared that he actually didn’t like being on a stage, they were – in turn – baffled to learn that.

How can someone who’s so good at speaking not like it? Worse: How can he be better than some of them who love the stage?

Actually, I encounter this mismatch quite frequently. Often, the best speakers turn out to be the very people who don’t seek out the spotlight.

Which is part of the reason why we find their speeches so enjoyable.

They don’t show up to show off. They show up because they care for their cause. Which gives their speeches a very different angle.

They don’t seek applause, but change. They are not looking to wow us, but to lead us to a profound aha moment.

They merely try to help us see what they see. And because they care deeply, they will not settle with confusing language, but look for crystal clear language that makes the complex feel simple.

To them, standing on a stage and giving public talks is an essential part of caring for their cause.

They may not enjoy the stage.
But they enjoy making change happen.

One thought

If you can manage to plant ONE THOUGHT in my head, you’ve changed my life.

You’ve also achieved way more than almost any other piece of communication.

Too often, communicators try to plant a dozen thoughts in their audience’s heads (if not more).

With the effect that none really sticks.

Because in trying to lead us on a dozen paths, they were effectively leading us nowhere. Some of us got confused, others gave up half way through, some lost track altogether.

“It’s complicated” is often what sticks from these pieces.

Going all in on one thought and leading your audience there safely, is often a better choice.

It’s different over there

If your communication doesn’t challenge what we know or what we believe, why would we grant you a share of our time?

If afterwards everything will be just the same as before and nothing has changed, why invest the time?

Communication that brings no change is a waste of time.

Worst, it creates no tension for your audience to take any action. So, it’s also a waste of your time.

Tension is created by showing us a path that’s different than the one we’re on. A path that we like better. Let’s say because it helps us solve a challenge we’re facing. Or because it provides the missing piece for a puzzle. Or maybe simply because it’s more fun over there.

So you care for your cause …

Many people who deeply care for their cause fail to make change happen.

For a simple reason: It’s not enough to care for your cause. You need to care for the change, too.

This has a profound impact on your actions. If you care for the change, you’ll inevitably have to take the others into account. You can’t just care. You need to empathize: Who is affected? Why would they care? What would make them listen?

It’s when you switch to that perspective that you start looking at your communication differently. Suddenly, all the details that felt so near and dear to your heart loose some of their weight because you realize that people need to be curious for the facts before you can dig deep. Suddenly, it’s not even about the facts anymore but just as much about the values and beliefs that make us interpret the facts in this way or another.

But most importantly, when you care for the change it’s not about whether you feel uncomfortable to go on a stage and speak about your cause. When you care for the change it’s required to speak up. It needs to be done.

And so, you just do it. And when you do it, you’ll find the courage to turn your speech into a powerful speech because that’s what’s required to make change happen.

Leaders who light the path

Leaders who light the path care for their cause – not the applause.

They care for better – as opposed to more.

They strive to get it right rather than to be right.

They speak with clarity – not ambiguity.

They figure it out so we don’t have to.

They start with empathy.

And make change happen.

Will you light us the path?

Here’s to an open mind

A mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it is not open.

– Frank Zappa

Unlike parachutes, though, an open mind might actually accelerate your journey.

Spread the Word

Picture of Dr. Michael Gerharz

Dr. Michael Gerharz