I’m not sure if this is really the best method of persuasion…

Earlier this week I attended a training session on persuasive speaking, hosted by Future Faces Birmingham. It was delivered by Mimi Hughes of Business Voice. I wasn’t too sure what to expect to be honest, but it proved to be an excellent workshop which I learnt a lot from, particularly about speaking skills.

Mimi began the event by getting us to think about what we mean by persuasive speaking and when we need to persuade. We concluded that in almost any working relationship, we need to utilise persuasion skills – to get people to listen to us, to work collaboratively, or to delegate work, as well as the more immediate examples such as selling, negotiating, or asking for a promotion/payrise.

We were then introduced to the three main components of persuasiveness:

1. Presence
2. Message
3. Mechanism

We also discussed personal impact and presentation skills which are important in all three components.

Mimi then asked some very brave volunteers (she referred to them as ‘Have a go heroes’ which I liked as a term) to come to the front and speak to the rest of the room about their organisation. They only had a minute to speak and they were recorded, and then we all watched them back (see what I mean when I said they were very brave! In return they got some really useful feedback). This exercise was all about presence and the following tips were shared with us to help improve:

• Opening lines and the way you start are key. Your audience makes a subconscious judgment before you have even spoken
• Body language very important – stand squarely on to people and straight (keep confident)
• Don’t stand behind desks or flip charts – need to show your presence
• Your voice needs to reach out to people furthest away from you (you can practice this by projecting your voice against a wall and gradually moving further back)
• Need to pause between key points – pausing is key in persuasion
• Don’t use preparation words before each sentence (Ok, Right, Um) – know what you’re going to say and start on the positive words
• Look like you’re interested in what you are saying in order to be interesting to others
• Let your hands move if they want to – good to use your hands as they give out energy
• Settle your hands in a comfortable middle position where they can move easily from (ideal position is joined together at the waist, not too low or behind you)
• Movement is good as it adds energy – though needs to be definite, not just shuffling from side to side
• Moving the face also important to show enthusiasm
• Um and err are not too intrusive as long as they are not used excessively, though pausing is better
• If you want to move when you start speaking, take a step forward not backwards
• It’s good practice to engage with people as they enter the room and encourage people to respond to your greeting (ask for their name and what they do/how they are) as it helps breaks down barriers
• Shaking hands and making positive eye contact is also good as again helps break down barriers
• Good to tap into something your audience are familiar with and tap into their emotions

We then focused on the message element and how to tailor the message to maximise its effectiveness. Mimi emphasised the importance of focusing on the key idea(s) you are trying to get across, and considering how to ensure the audience (in broad terms, this could be just a one-to-one conversation) will take that away. In order to achieve this, the audience needs to be able to repeat the message and the best way to get to this is to keep the message clear and brief. In presentations, Mim recommended only aiming to talk for around 10 minutes, and dedicate longer time to Q&A to extend the dialogue and cement the message. We then completed an exercise preparing the key messages about our organisation using the following model:

Model for constructing message

In the model, the roof is the conclusion you want people to walk away with (you may mention what this is, but you may not). You want the audience to walk away with the conclusion based on the evidence you provide them with through the three pillars, which act as the different messages you deliver. Three is an ideal number, though you can manage with 2-4 (as can a building). 1 isn’t really enough to get them to believe in the conclusion, whilst too many will make the messages less memorable and weaken the argument. We did this as an activity with our own organisations and two more ‘Have a go heroes’ presented about their organisations using this model. You’ll probably also have noticed that Mimi practices what she preaches as our whole workshop was based on this model with the three components of persuasion as the three key messages.

We also discussed how to handle questions, which is a key part of helping get your message across. The main things here were to listen very carefully to the questions, and think about the answer you are going to give before speaking. You want to aim to “build, bridge, and reinforce” in your response so that you bring it back to your key messages and help cement that in their minds. You’ll also need to stay focused and keep it brief but tailored to the audience. If you don’t know the answer to the question, be cautious about winging it – if you don’t know enough to do so, be honest and tell the person you’ll find out and get back to them (and make sure you do). We also discussed hostility and Mimi warned us to be careful as we may be seeing nervousness and recognising it as hostility – generally, people won’t be hostile, and if they are, let it wash over you.

We briefly discussed the mechanics, such as using presentation slides only to illustrate the key messages but keeping the focus on what you’re going to say; making sure you have the right people for group presentations (some may need to be there to respond to questions but don’t need to present as too many can dilute the message); not leaning on lecturns or tables when speaking as this comes across as too relaxed and like you’re not really interested; and listen carefully in two-way conversations and again try to link what they are saying back to your key messages.

Mimi ended the workshop by sharing some exercises of things we can do to help improve our persuasive skills by improving our presence, message and mechanism. Some of them may seem a little silly at first (she got us up on our feet flopping our bodies over to help our posture, and reading stories aloud to practice our pitch and pausing), but I really think they’re going to be useful tools in helping improve my skills.

What next?

I’m currently preparing some conference presentations and webinars and found this workshop really useful for helping me plan these further. It’s caused me to reflect on the best way to use my allotted time, the materials I develop to support what I’m going to say, and the way I hope to present myself. I was really pleased to learn that it’s OK to use your hands when you talk as I naturally do this a lot and was worried it came across as too much arm flailing. Mimi reassured us that as long as it is natural, it’s very rare for it to come across as too much. One thing I know I need to work on is pausing. I tend to speak very quickly in normal conversation, and even moreso when the adrenaline is pumping and I’m giving presentations. I fill what little thinking time I allow myself with ‘um’ as well, so I’m hoping to practice talking more clearly and pausing when presenting key points to help them stand out.

I also have a training session next week on making presentations and giving briefings, so I’m hoping some of what I learnt in this workshop will be repeated and it might help it stick!

I look just like this when I run – happy, relaxed, no hint of tomato face, flyaway hair or flailing limbs (clearly a lie)

This weekend I ran 5k. Believe me, no one is more surprised about this than I am. I’m not a runner. At all. Eight weeks ago I struggled to run for 3 minutes, but now I can keep going for more than 30 minutes. One day I decided I wanted to improve my fitness so I thought I’d go out for a jog, and decided to give the Couch to 5K (C25K) programme a go – I used a C25K mobile app. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do the full programme but out I went and I actually quite enjoyed it. I went out three times a week, stuck to the programme, trusted it and made progress. And this weekend, at the end of my eight weeks, I ran the full 5k. It wasn’t easy, it wasn’t fast, but I did it. The process has taught me so much about myself and I wanted to share that. This blog post isn’t about telling everyone to get out there and run (though it is surprisingly enjoyable), but what I learnt during this process applies to so many things in life and it was good to have those reminders.

1. If you set your mind to doing something, and it’s a realistic goal, you can do it

I honestly didn’t think I was ever likely to be able to run for over 30 minutes, but I believed the c25k programme and stuck to it. Each time it got a little harder, I went out with part of me thinking I couldn’t do it, but I went out regardless, put my trust in the programme and my body, and I managed to complete every single one of the training days.

2. Sometimes, having people who don’t think you can do it can be a really useful thing

After my second run (where the majority is still walking rather than running), I got back and my partner joked, “Well you’ve done it twice now, is that it?”. I do go through fads so it was a valid comment (and also to be fair to him he is incredibly supportive of anything he knows I want to achieve). That comment however seemed to change my blasé approach to the programme. Suddenly I had a challenge; to prove to him, and myself, that I can stick to things and can improve my fitness. IT IS ON!

3. You’re probably more capable than you think

How often do you think you’d like to do something but decide not to try because you don’t think you’d be able to do it. Next time you find yourself in that situation, I urge you to commit to trying. I bet you can do a lot more than you think. I honestly never thought I’d be able to keep running for that time or distance, but it actually only took 8 weeks. You won’t know if you don’t try so give it a go, and believe in yourself.

4. Lots of small, incremental developments can lead to much greater progress

Common sense, I know, but sometimes it just seems like a goal is so far away, yet if you break it down into tiny progressive steps, you’ll have achieved the larger goal before you know it. I take this approach with many things – I have a number of large projects on the go but I break each of them down into smaller tasks which help get me towards the bigger goal.

5. Learning a new skill or achieving a goal is incredibly fulfilling

I love learning new things. Over the past year or so, I’ve taken up a few different hobbies, and the one thing they all have in common is learning new skills. Every knitting project I do for example, I learn how to do something new, and it’s one of the reasons I enjoy it so much. Running has taught me a lot about myself – mind and body – and getting to the goal of being able to run 5k was a fantastic feeling.

So what aims do you have? How are you going to get there? You can do it, I know you can!

Closing the contract

Yesterday evening I attended a Future Faces event on negotiation skills. We received a brief presentation and then had chance to do a group challenge based on a case study. I found some of the things covered in the presentation really useful so though I would share them.

I’ve got to be honest – I wasn’t sure what to expect from this joint event with CIPS (Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply) – I’m not involved in sales or purchasing, and I’m not in a position to be able to negotiate my salary (two of the examples on the event blurb) but I hoped it might give me some tips and develop some generic skills which I might be able to apply to other contexts. I was therefore very glad that the event started with an overview of how we might be able to use the tips and techniques from the session in other contexts in both our work life (such as negotiating better deals/terms, not just financial negotiation) and our personal life (for all purchases and agreements).

The presentation from Jo McDowall from CIPS on negotiating took us through the phases of negotiation:

1. Preparation and planning
2. Opening
3. Testing
4. Movement
5. Closing

She then gave us some tips on how to prepare and plan for negotiation. This included understanding your own requirements (what you need, not what you want), researching the other party to understand potential negotiation points, deciding on your targets (what you would like in an ideal situation, your realistic expectations, and what you would accept as a fallback i.e. minimum), and recognising any assumptions. Again it was highlighted that you need to consider all aspects of the deal, not just price. Using the example of buying a car, you might want to consider your ideal, realistic and fallback options for things like servicing, warrantee, accessories, full tank of fuel, payment terms etc. Jo highlighted the importance of beginning negotiations with your ideal situation, and shared an anecdote with us;

If you don’t feel embarrassed by what you ask for, you are not asking for enough

I can certainly see the logic behind this (after all, sometimes you might get what you want!), though in reality I know I’m far more likely to go in with a realistic negotiation rather than an ideal one as I feel really uncomfortable asking for too much. Definitely something to consider though – what are you willing to sacrifice and what are you not willing to budge on?

We were also taken through the planning process for the stages of negotiation:

• Opening – The more you ask for, the more you get
• Testing – Never accept the first offer
• Movement – Aim to get maximum wish list whilst giving away little
• Closing – Don’t take no for an answer

The group challenge got us to apply this learning into a real life example. It was an interesting task though sadly there wasn’t much time to discuss it in detail. I was glad we had the opportunity to consider how to apply what we had learnt though, and consider how the ideal, realistic and fallback situations could work in practice.

Do you have any tips for successful negotiation or additional things to bear in mind?

Discussion held on 15th April 2013.

My three year term on the CILIP West Midlands committee has come to an end (two years as Marketing Officer, one year as Chair), and I only have a few months left chairing the ALA NMRT Online Discussion Forum committee, so I thought it would be a good time to reflect on my experiences and dispel some myths about chairing committees I’ve come across during my time as chair.

Only businessmen over 50 can join committees

Myth 1: You have to have X years of experience within the profession to chair a committee

Until I joined a committee I had assumed that everyone on the committee, and particularly the chair, secretary and treasurer, must have worked in the profession for a long time in order to know things inside out. What I have since realised is that though there is definitely value in having people on the committee who do have this extensive knowledge and experience, it’s not essential for each individual member to have that. In fact, those new to the profession have just as much to contribute as they are likely to have fresh ideas and suggestions for new ways of doing things – and they can take on roles such as chair, secretary and treasurer to possibly challenge the way things are done and make some changes. And that’s most definitely a good thing.

Myth 2: You have to know the committee and wider organisation inside out to chair a committee

Again, not necessarily true. All you need is a willingness to learn – coming to a committee afresh is of course likely to mean more time invested at the beginning to understand how things work. Experiences here may well differ depending on the organisation and committee, but there is often guidance for new committee members. In ALA New Members Round Table (NMRT) for example, there is a handbook wiki which contains all the information each committee needs. It includes details on the remit of the committee, key responsibilities and milestones for the year, reporting mechanisms, and who to go to for help. In addition, each committee is overseen by a member of the NMRT board so you always have people to turn to if you need further help.

Both CILIP and ALA are complex organisations and I’m willing to bet that the majority of committee members and chairs only know about a very small section of the organisation. A willingness to learn is again all that is needed here, and both organisations have council members who are incredibly helpful if you have any questions. They’ll also welcome new ideas so if it seems strange that something is done a certain way, ask the question and see if it can be improved.

This was the top result for a stock image search for committee – it’s not like any I’ve ever been on!

Myth 3: You have to be in a management role (or have held one previously) to chair a committee

Chairing a committee is a form of managing people, so any experience in this area helps, but it’s not essential – everyone has to start somewhere! I’m told it’s a very different experience to line management and I can definitely see that would be the case. It’s not a daily demand (for most committees anyway!), and committee members are usually volunteers so it’s a different type of situation, which of course has its pros and cons. Chairing a committee could be a useful way to get experience managing people if you don’t get the opportunity to do so in your job but would like to in future. As long as you’re willing to chair meetings and provide support for managing the work of your committee members, that’s all you really need.

Myth 4: You have to hold and attend a lot of face-to-face meetings to chair a committee

The number of meetings will vary depending on the remit and responsibilities of the committee, but sometimes these can be held virtually and for some committees no meetings are necessary at all. For most CILIP committees there seems to be a general acceptance that committees should meet face to face at least 4 times per year, however according to the current branch rules it is recommended that the committee meets as many times as is deemed necessary (which could of course be only once for the Annual General Meeting). Some committees never meet in person (this is the case for the NMRT committee I chair), whilst others meet regularly but rely mainly on virtual rather than physical meetings. Of course it’s still important for the chair to be comfortable to chair the meeting(s) and conversations however they occur, but I wanted to highlight the fact that his doesn’t necessarily mean numerous physical meetings. If you can’t commit to that, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t chair a committee.

Myth 5: You have to dedicate your life to a committee to act as chair

Well I didn’t, though I confess there were busy periods where a lot of my time was taken up with committee work (though I was on three committees, two of which I chaired). It doesn’t have to be a massive commitment though. You’re there to help steer and direct the committee, not do all the work. This was initially a difficult lesson to learn for me, but essential both for my well-being and for the sustainability of the committees. Clearly, you need to care about the core values of the committee to enable it to succeed, but if you can only give a limited amount of time, that’s absolutely fine – just choose a committee that suits. I would estimate that chairing CILIP West Midlands took on average around 1-2hrs of my time per week, whereas chairing the NMRT Online Discussion Forum Committee takes around 1-2hrs of my time per month. Committees vary hugely in this and depend on the type of committee – those with a specific purpose often have key periods of time that are particularly busy (e.g. conference organising committees) so you’ll need to take that into consideration.

So, that doesn’t sound so bad really does it? I’ve really enjoyed my time on both committees (and the CILIP Career Development Group West Midlands division committee which I was part of from 2009 to 2012). I can’t quite believe how much I’ve learnt in that time – about the organisations, about other people, and about myself. There have been highs, there have been lows, there have been lots of discussions and emails, and some fun and silliness thrown in too. Overall, it’s been a great experience and one I’d encourage people to participate in to help develop their skills and support their professional organisations (being involved in making it happen is one of the best ways to make sure the organisation is meeting your needs).

For both ALA and CILIP most chair roles are one year terms, with general committee terms for CILIP lasting three years. I recommend finding committees that interest you and seeing if you can get involved. Unless there are confidentiality issues, most meetings will be open so you can go along and see what the committee does – or just reach out to the current chair to get information. If you’re an ALA member, many of the divisions and round tables have volunteer forms for getting involved in committees (such as the NMRT volunteer form which I believe is still currently accepting applications). If you do become a committee chair, you might be interested in my earlier blog post on tips for chairing meetings.

I’m not one for making rash statements about things I’m going to change in my life starting on January 1st, but I do frequently set myself goals and revisit them so the beginning of the year is a good excuse as any to do so publicly. I also find that sharing them publicly helps me stick to them. With that in mind, let’s see how I did on last year’s goals:

1. To work on CILIP Chartership (reflecting on achievements and updating wiki on at least a monthly basis) – I did even better than expected here and submitted my portfolio in August and received confirmation in October that I had been successful.
2. To improve physical organisation, particularly in home office – notes and paperwork etc. – I’m definitely better at this too, essentially by making notes in electronic format where possible, or if in paper format I digitise them as soon as I can (either by photographing and adding to Evernote or typing up the main points).
3. To achieve a more productive balance between different parts of my life ensuring I make time for professional, personal, and social activities – YES! This is the biggest achievement of 2012 for me. It took me most of the year to get there but I’m now finally at a stage where I feel like I have a sensible balance between different parts of my life, and am managing to fit in both professional and personal interests as well as the day job.
4. To continue to blog about professional issues and ideas as well as reflection on activities – Yes, though I have blogged less frequently since finishing my chartership. I’m still planning to continue to blog but have a number of different types of blogs so probably won’t post to each as frequently.
5. To publish at least one paper (preferably peer-reviewed) – I’m leaving this one as I didn’t achieve my goal of publishing a peer-reviewed paper. I did publish a number of articles in other journals/magazines though, including one on my dissertation research which I was really proud of, and one on productivity which I really enjoy writing about. I have some more in progress (either waiting to be published, or still being written), and this year I have a regular column in CILIP Update.

So, I think based on a review of those goals and my current to-do list, I’ll be doing quite a bit of writing this year. Here are my specific goals for 2013:

1. To write (and hopefully publish) a paper for a peer-reviewed journal
2. To embed current awareness into working routine (e.g. keeping up-to-date with RSS feeds)
3. To develop skills in training/coaching and put them into practice through workshops
4. To continue to support other professionals via Twitter (by keeping an eye on the #chartership tweets, and joining in Twitter chats)
5. To retain balance in life and ensure I continue to spend time away from the computer doing other things I enjoy and seeing family and friends

I have a number of craft goals for the year too so I should have lots to keep my to-do list populated – let’s just hope I can tick them off by the end of the year!

It’s that time of year again – time to reflect on the activities of the previous 12 months (see 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 posts). Here are some of my highlights from 2012:

2012 highlights in pictures

Top: My Emerging Leaders project group with ALA NMRT President (Janel Kinlaw, far left) and Past President (Linda Crook, far right)
Bottom left: CILIP Chartership certificate
Bottom centre: CILIP West Midlands Chair medal
Bottom right: Productivity and time management article

Professionally, one of the main things this year has been CILIP Chartership. I started the process early in the year, submitted my portfolio in August, and discovered I had been successful in October. I found it a really useful process for focusing my energy on developing skills and knowledge in areas I felt were important. It was particularly valuable in helping me prioritise tasks and projects, and having to do this has taught me a lot about time management and working towards goals. Throughout the Chartership process, I focused on research skills, formal communication, networking, presenting, event organisation, project management, delegating and leadership. Two of the other big things this year has involved are linked to leadership; ALA Emerging Leaders and chairing committees.

Being part of the American Library Association Emerging Leaders program was a truly incredible experience and I still can’t quite believe that I got to do it. I really enjoyed the project I was assigned to, I loved the enthusiasm and energy from all the Emerging Leaders and especially during our training days at ALA Midwinter and ALA Annual, and I made some truly fantastic friends. It also led to me getting more involved in ALA work, particularly in NMRT (New Members Round Table) where I now chair the Online Discussion Forum committee.

I’ve also been chair of CILIP West Midlands this year. It’s been an interesting challenge and one that has taught me a lot. During the three years I have been on the CILIP West Midlands committee I’ve been involved in trying new things and have been really proud of what we have achieved (e.g. held the first election hustings, continued to support event amplification for those who cannot attend events, organised informal social to complement formal training events). My term comes to an end at the end of the year (i.e. in a few hours!) and I feel ready to pass the baton on; there are a number of new committee members who I’m sure will bring some fresh ideas to the mix as well as some long standing committee members who know the ins and outs which help the committee function effectively.

This year I also developed a training workshop, and followed it up with an article for CILIP Update, on time management and productivity. It’s an area I’ve been interested in for a while and I’ve really enjoyed being able to put what I’ve learnt into developing something to help others. I’m looking forward to continuing this with my CILIP Update column next year.

My favourite cocktails of 2012

2012 has been an interesting year and has resulted in a lot of personal reflection and development. I feel like I’m finding my place and learning what it is that makes me happy. Most importantly, I’m achieving a balance that suits me. I’ve completed the qualifications I set myself the challenge of gaining when I entered the profession in 2005, so now I can focus on other things – some covering other related professional interests, others covering different areas of my life. I’m really looking forward to 2013, I’ve been assured by both family and friends that it’s going to be a good year – I hope they’re right! Cheers everyone, here’s to 2013

What? Why the planning?

Which path to choose? by Mark Smallwood

I’m going through a period of self-reflection at the moment, and it’s something I go through regularly when I finish studying or close a chapter of my life. One day I’m just plodding along as normal, and then suddenly I have extra free time and I start thinking. Thinking is good, but life thinking is HARD. I’m an opportunist type of person, so I never really planned to be a librarian – I just knew teaching wasn’t for me at the time I had to make a decision but I was keen to stay in education somehow. I didn’t plan to become a researcher – I just loved the sound of the job from the advert and it seemed to fit with the things I most enjoyed about my previous job roles. I didn’t even plan to live where I live (the area I live or our house), it just sort of fell into place at the time. And I’m happy with all of those decisions, but what do I want in the future?

I have a vague idea of the things I enjoy doing and I pretty much stay true to that (I’m getting much better at saying no to opportunities which don’t fit with my strengths or what I enjoy doing), but I have no idea where I want to be in life in 5/10 years time, or even 1 year from now. Does it matter? Maybe not, but I’ve been trying to spend some time learning more about myself and what I really want. I’ve been reading some interesting books, and working my way through some recommended tasks. Some I’ve found pretty useless, others have been insightful. One thing I did find interesting was trying to list 50 things I wanted out of life. Sounds easy doesn’t it? It really isn’t, well I didn’t find it easy anyway. I did eventually manage to come up with 50 and then had to choose from those 5 short, 5 medium, and 5 long term goals. I’ve recorded these and will be trying to work towards them, although most are not related to my career (one may involve a lemon meringue pie).

So I’ve been trying to pin down what it is that I really enjoy doing and why. What makes me get up in the morning raring to go? (Very little actually, since I’m really not a morning person). What excites me? What am I passionate about? What tasks/activities do I enjoy doing and why? I’m still pondering this, and if anyone has any tips for discovering this I would really appreciate it.

Career planning event

Whilst I was starting to mull all these things over, Future Faces Birmingham held an event on career planning. It seemed like perfect timing, so I went along and made some notes. The course was facilitated by John Ling, who has a varied background and now coaches a number of senior executives. He covered some tips on CVs and interviews but my main area of interest at the moment is planning – below are some of my notes:

Highlights from the first Library Leadership Reading Group discussion held on 31st August 2012.

Highlights from the first Library Leadership Reading Group discussion held on 31st August 2012.

  by  å§’儿喵喵 

Leadership is one of the areas I’m focusing on for my CILIP Chartership and as a result I’ve been involved in a number of different activities based on this topic. I thought it would be useful to consolidate them and share some of the key lessons I’ve learnt. These have derived from my involvement in the following activities:

• ALA Emerging Leaders program (including leadership training at ALA Midwinter)
• Chairing CILIP West Midlands committee
• Joining Future Faces Birmingham
• Giving a presentation on Developing leadership skills through professional engagement
• Attending the CILIP in Wales Conference on leadership
• Reading core leadership texts, articles and blogs Read the rest of this entry »