Geronimo Leadership Coaching

Tough New-Yorker No Nonsense Style

“Believe That There Are No Limitations, No Barriers to Your Success – You Will Be Empowered and You Will Achieve.”

 

 Angela Burns, could represent The Achiever Communication style, in my series about Women Speakers

 January, with  Meg Whitman, The laser Light with a Big Smile, illustrating the Persuader Communication Style,

 

February, with Gail Evans, with Play like a Man, Win like a Woman, for the Pioneer communication style.

If you're curious  about the 12 Communication styles, please read my latest post the SPM Profiling Tool Innovative, Cross-cultural and 21st century ready.

• What are the Key characteristics of The Achiever Style?

Achievers bring to their organisations a determination to achieve and an effective, focused and fast-paced working style.

Sensitive to concrete results, Achievers are more comfortable with concise and factual information rather than too much detail.

Assertive and direct, they can become blunt and impatient under stress.

(from the Spony Profiling Model Feedback Guide)

• What are the Key characteristics of the opposite style, The facilitator?

Facilitators are viewed as friendly, spending time seeking agreement and consensus.

Good at listening, they are sometimes seen to be too dependent on other people's opinions, or lacking effectiveness.

They communicate with enthusiasm, show empathy, maintain eye contact, are expressive, understanding. Under stress, they can become emotional and irrational.

• Why is Ursula Burns best to represent The  dilemna between Achiever and Facilitation Communication Style?

Hard-charging and blunt, Burns admitted to “letting my big mouth drive the discussion” and conceded, “Patience is not one of my strengths.”

 She has never been shy about speaking her mind.

Some people gave her sound advices:

At Xerox, one of her mentors, Mr Hicks advised her to "make people feel comfortable by listening carefully, not to intimidate them!" (communicating more as a "Facilitator")

Her best mentor and coach, after her mother, is of course Ann Calaway, former CEO of Xerox. Ann Callaway said: "You have to develop more of a poker face because people will watch you for everything."

"On my face, you could tell everything in 30 seconds. You could tell exasperation. You could tell fed-up-ness."

Ursula Burns listened to her mentors, but not to people who told her to adjust her speaking style. People told her that it was "too New York"- too fast, too informal.

“What I realized was I have to know my content and know what I want to say, and be significantly less concerned about how I say it,” she says.

• What's in it for YOU?

If you identify with the Achiever's style of communication and leadership:

Be cautious about not becoming too blunt or impatient.

Ask for feedback.

Find yourself a mentor and listen to her, to him.

Observe leaders around you who display more the characteristics of the Facilitator style and see what you can learn from them.

Learn to listen

Express empathy

and let go of the pressure for results, once in a while...

It's one of the 6 dilemna, coping both with a desire to achieve results and expressing consideration for others.

I'm feeling terribly shy to pretend to give any advice to this awesome woman...

What can be said for Her?

In her speeches to students, like at Syracuse University , Ursula Burns could have been less serious,more engaging and have had an even greater impact.

She could improve simply by smiling more and making eye contact,(just like in the great smiling picture on the right!), staying less time on her notes, and more often with the audience. Notice how her face becomes animated and her eyes sparkle when she answers questions or tells us a story. She would also express a little more of who she is, communicating her formidable generosity and gift of giving.

So I would tell her to be even more of herself!

Tough New-Yorker No Nonsense Style!!!

 

“I can’t try to say it in somebody else’s voice. I have to say it in my voice.” Angela Burns

 

I believe in the power of examples and picked 12 famous women leaders, from different cultures, to illustrate each style of communication and leadership.These conclusions are based on my observations, perceptions and interpretations, since these women have not yet taken the SPM questionnaire.

SPM Profiling Tool: Innovative, Cross-cultural and 21st century ready.

The idea of making a series on 12 women speakers, one each month in 2010, came from my experience of coaching hundreds of executive women and men, providing in depth constructive and personal feedback with a model called the SPM.

• What is the SPM?

Spony Profiling Model is an international profiling tool for individuals, teams and organisations.

SPM reveals motivations, preferences and flexibility, all valuable insights for modern executives. SPM highlights areas of tension; key challenges and opportunities for development, with individual advice for adaptation to different international environments.  This is achieved by measuring individuals’ work values and how others see them at work, manifesting their values through their management style

• What is the research and academic background behing the SPM?

SPM combines & extends Hofstede’s work on cultures with Schwartz's work on values systems.

• Who developed the SPM?

Dr. Gilles Spony  researched SPM at Cranfield School of Management,  winning First Prize for the best Doctoral Thesis presented in Europe in 2001, from the European Association of Personnel Management. 

"Forecasting the boom of current issues in cross-cultural mergers and acquisitions and the management of cross-cultural teams, Gilles’ has developed an analytical model aimed at analysing the impact of personality and cultural differences on managers’ decision-making style within the modern work context. His model represents a truly innovative step to adapt traditional personality profiling to the modern context of internationalisation and globalisation."

Nathalie Turner Founder of Entheo
 

• What are the twelve SPM styles?

Each style is always seen as half of a pair of dilemnas : two styles that are both good, yet opposite styles of management. I will share thumbnail sketches for each style, as I illustrate them each month.  

About the Persuader Style, read Meg Whitman The Laser Light with a Big Smile (January)

Although Meg Whitman display mostly characteristics from the persuader style, she demonstrates sensitivity, friendliness and empathy with others. She 's "stretching" on the relationship dilemna of the Persuader- Moderator.This flexibility makes her a brilliant communicator.

About the Pioneer Style, read Play like a Man, Win like a Woman, with Gail Evans (February)

This post provoked some polemic,(read the comments!) maybe because I stressed the Pioneer dimension of Gail Evans, at the expense of the opposite style: the Maintainer, that I will develop further, with an original example.

About the Achiever Style,opposed to the Facilitator, watch out for my next post,... with Ursula Burns (March)

                                                                                                                                                                             

• What can you learn, thanks to the SPM?

Understanding your styles and how others see you at work means you can make conscious or deliberate choices about the way you manage, with particular outcomes in mind.  You can find a way to focus on creating good working relationships, even with those whose styles you do not like, which often leads to diversity becoming a positive aspect within your workplace. 

 

• What about cultural differences?

When working across different cultures, SPM is particularly good at showing people where they need to pay attention to their styles, to ensure the best possible outcomes. SPM is still unique in being able to offer individual insight at the cultural level with a an Individualised Cultural Map.

 

• How can you take the SPM?

Contact Future to Be. Future to Be is a pioneer in the impact that culture has on individual value systems and how this impacts ways of working.

www.futuretobe.net

Accessed online, with online results instantly available, this tool is also statistically proven to offer valid colleague observation with just three responders.  It is easily described as efficient and insightful. With detailed written reports, for individuals, teams and organizations, SPM is perfectly integrative and 21^st  century ready.

 

• Who does it apply for?

Utilizing the same base axes for individual, team and organizational profiling, SPM provides a common foundation for integrated development for organizations, teams and individuals. A rigorous consultant qualifying programme means that the standards are carefully controlled.  

• What's the Philosophy?

 "We believe that there is much more power in learning to accept and leverage different styles, personalities, skills and backgrounds."

Looking at successful women leaders more closely, I realized that they displayed characteristics similar to aspects of the SPM styles.  Although they have not yet taken the SPM Questionnaire, it is possible to see that some elements are clearly displayed.  By thinking of their styles in terms of SPM, it is possible to understand one’s own styles and undertake development to enhance management styles for more successful outcomes.  Adopting styles of those who are successful is a good way to realize success for yourself. 

 

It has been my privilege to work with senior executives women, and men using SPM and I am convinced that this sophisticated tool is a solid foundation for development activity.  As is already evident, this approach has provoked comment and debate and hopefully will lead on to improved leadership development and greater diversity at the workplace.

 

Below are a number of case studies that illustrate how the SPM can be applied and the effect that it can have in a variety of different environments:

• Outplacement, Personal Coaching & International Management Development
• Working with Teams
• Aligning HR and Corporate Strategy
• Designing objective Roles and Job Descriptions
• Addressing Cultural Issues in the work place
• Financial Times Article 16.12.04 - "Job tests begin to score highly" (21KB PDF)
• Expatica Article - 12.04 - "Virtual culture trainer?" (48KB PDF)

 

Giving a Great Presentation Is Like Cooking a Great Meal.

There are three subjects that passionate me : Women, Cartoons and ...Cooking!

• You already had a taste about my first passion with  a series on Women Speakers (the second is coming out soon!)

• I love comics, cartoons characters and animated movies (here more on Pixar, Disney, The Incredibles, the use of figurines in learning and coaching, Ratatouille, and many more to come!)

• Now I am starting another series on Presentations Recipes From The Around The World  (first with Roman Cooking, Presentation a la Cicero!)
  

Thanks to Lisa Braithwaite 's initiative to create a Ning group: Speak Schmeak, on Making Presentations Fun, we had a virtual brainstorming discussion about Food and Presentation, triggered by my Story of M&Ms...

Here's what Steve Cherches shared:

"I once opened a presentation skills class by saying (with spatula in hand) "They say that giving a great presentation is like cooking a great meal." Then I asked them as a group to come up with 20 ways that presenting is like cooking a great meal. This lead to a 45 minute discussion touching on most of the things we were going to cover throughout the two day class. It opened up one of the best discussions I've ever had in a class.

Maybe you could have participants put together their own cooking show to develop their presentation skills. They can even have a Top Chef competition. Sounds like a fun way to get people going."

I love this idea! Organizing a Top Chef competition to teach people presentation skills!

What do you think about that?

...I already have some ideas about where it would take place, in my home town Lyon, The Capital of Gastronomy.

As you may have guessed, the idea would be to promote Women Chefs, as well as men, since women are missing leadership positions not only as CEO's, but as Restaurant Chefs and conductors.

Next two posts :

1. Cooking Recipe: Presentation "à la Ciceron"
2. Women Chefs: Cherchez La Femme!

4 Presentation Lessons From Dynamite Scott Berkun

 

The only thing I knew from Scott Berkun until now, from France, was the huge success of his latest book with the provocative and teasing tittle "Confessions of a Public Speaker".

I read somewhere on Twitter that this guy reminded someone of Tom Cruise 's character in Magnolia.Not a big fan of Tom Cruise, let alone of The Preacher ' style, so I didn't investigate further.

This guy looked a little like dynamite for me, red and dangerous!

By mistake, I picked up one extract in Spanish, but actually, since I don't understand Spanish, it's less insulting to watch!(sorry the Spanish speakers, the content might be very rude). Just check the first minute and the body language gives you enough clues to understand what's going on...

Then I read "How to be Passionate" (when you open your mouth) and stopped to watch Scott Berkun for the first time. I made my own judgement. Make yours!

Scott Berkun 's 4 "lessons" :

1. My life is at stake.
2. I believe what I say .
3. I’ve extended my range.  
4. I have great respect for anyone who voluntarily listens to me.

Here's what I wrote on his blog:

"Now I understand why people talk so much about you and why you make such an impact.
It’s the first time I’m watching a video of you, and frankly, I expected you to come across much more excited and “like a preacher on cocaine”.
Instead, I see simplicity, honesty and humility wrapped into pure dynamite, “ignited” by 100% PRESENCE."

Triggered 3 ideas :

      1) In business presentations too,the most essential is to believe and care about what you say and why you say it.

No wonder we, as presentation coaches and trainers, find it so hard for corporate clients to express themselves with Passion. Do they believe in what they say? Do they actually feel that put their life at stake when they present? Do they respect those who listen to them?…
Our role is to remind them of the fire which is burning inside of them.Why do they CARE?
Taking them back in touch with their inner child is one way.Telling their story is another.

      2) There’s a cultural dimension when you’re speaking in public.

I agree with Olivia Mitchell's comment that there’s a cultural dimension when you’re speaking in public. We each need to find what is the most comfortable with our personality and our culture and pay attention to the audience’s culture. But point 4 (respecting anyone who’s listening to me) should take care of that! More on cultural dimensions with my blog series on 12 Women Speakers, 12 Communication Styles , based on the SPM approach.

      3) There are other kinds of energy.

Scott Berkun talks about volume, about gestures, postures, facial expressions.Smiling and making eye contact are also potential “dynamites”.Using my background and training as a theater actress, I’ve discovered other sources of energy. It comes from within, from your desire to share. It can be turned off or full watts, just like a light bulb.You hardly need to speak very loud or gesticulate when you find it. Actually you could very much stay still and silent and be intensely present.

Tap into your desire to share and contact this energy.

What does it look like? How does it feel? How does it sound like? How could you make it grow in intensity? How could you translate it so that people around you get it and act on it directly?

I started writing this post last Friday. Meanwhile I gave two days of training in Stress Management that ended just yesterday evening.

Stress is like the fire burning inside of us which ignites the energy and the passion Scott Berkun is talking about. Too little and you're invisible or boring, too much and you're burning yourself and others!

I spent two days helping managers to "play with this fire" and learn how to handle it with great respect and courage in order to share it with honesty, simplicity and effectiveness.

Having read Scott Berkun's 4 presentation lessons helped me give this talk.I made sure that each of the participants recognized the powerful energy there was inside of them and learned how to channel it and spread it,respecting their personal rythms and differences, according to the cultural environment they were into.

I hope it will help you, too!

What sort of reactions does it trigger, for you?

How do you connect with this fire? Does it look, feel, sound like dynamite or like camp fire?

What kind of fire are you willing to share today?

About "fire", read a warming and delightful post and short video from Terrence Gargiulo in Story Matters Stories & Fire.