FEBRUARY 2015www.michellebowden.com.au

PLUS: FREE book giveaway!

IN THIS ISSUE!Speaker Murray Altham shares his tips for presenting in business Do you work with TURKEYS? How to use the PASSIVE CONCERT in your training If it’s not working RE-FRAME it PERSUASION Tips Conference Speaking Tips How to tap into people’s HOT buttons Your culture, chaos or CALM Rehearse over the RADIO Don’t tell them you’re NERVOUS Success Stories The difference between STRONG and WEAK leaders

SAGUN GURUNG APPLICATION DELIVERY MANAGER AUSTRALIA POST

!Sagun is an experienced IT professional with 12 years+ software development and management experience. Throughout his career, he has undertaken a variety of consulting roles across multiple industries working for various clients like Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard, GE Money, Bendigo Bank, Work Safe (TAC) & Oakton consulting. His current role is Application Delivery Manager in Enterprise Application Services (EAS) in Australia Post. Sagun is a People Leader with 30 direct/indirect reports responsible for planning, management & delivery of Integration Services (TIBCO) solutions for multiple business units, portfolios & p r o j e c t s u s i n g A g i l e & w a t e r f a l l methodologies !What kind of presenting do you do at work? !I present to wide variety and size of audiences ranging from: daily team and project stand-ups, team meet ings, presentat ion to management and other stakeholders, project/program/portfolio planning, status and

retrospective meetings, one-to-one people management meetings to my direct reports and manager. I also present at various events.What prompted you to attend Michelle's P e r s u a s i v e P r e s e n t a t i o n S k i l l s Masterclass?  !I have been keen to improve my presentation abilities. When I became aware that Australia Post was trialling Michelle’s Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass to selected employees, I immediately expressed my interest to my managers. I was fortunate to be given the opportunity.!How did Michelle's program change your attitude to presenting in business?   I am more confident to present and enjoy it more now. My presentations are more structured and outcome focussed as I remember Michelle repeating - ‘Presentation is not about you, it’s all about the audience’.In general, what positive outcomes have you achieved f rom improving your presentation skills? !I am more confident about presenting & feel like I can do a decent job. It has given me the confidence tha t  I  can s t ruc tu re my presentation to the audience & intent of the presentation. It has also given me template to plan and design effective presentations.

SUCCESS STORIES!

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BY GREG MOWBRAY

Successful organisations have a calmness around them. They are confident and focused. Struggling organisations tend to be chaotic and frenzied. What describes your culture – chaos or calm?  In his book ‘Good to Great’, author Jim Collins talks about the five qualities he found in great organisations compared to organisations that were just good. Not surprisingly, leadership was one, followed by having the right people in the right positions. The other three are discipline, keeping it simple and building momentum gradually. Let's talk about these!Discipline. Struggling organisations lack discipline. There doesn’t seem to be anything controlling behaviour, be that procedures, policies or people. Successful organisations have people that follow guidelines that may be formal or informal, like culture.  Keeping it simple. Under performing companies allow things to become too complicated. Simple does not mean easy. In fact it is much harder to make things simple than to allow complexity to creep in. !Build momentum gradually.  It seems that we are all in a constant rush. Time frames are shorter, deadlines are closer, things can’t happen fast enough for some. This sense of urgency sometimes forces us to rush, plan poorly and knee-jerk react if things aren’t going well. Organisations that plan well, know their environment and are confident, more patient and controlled. !If you want to be more successful, less chaotic and calm, do these things.!

1. Have systems, policies and procedures in place to guide, not choke behaviour. The most important thing here is to establish a strong positive culture where people feel like they are valued and belong.!

2. Have a clear, shared vision for your organisat ion. Make sure people understand it and buy into it. Strive for simplicity in things like job descriptions, p ro j e c t o v e r v i e w s a n d o v e r a l l communication.!

3. Plan adequately and be clear about what you want everyone to do. Allow sufficient time frames for projects to bear fruit. Don’t change direction at the drop of a hat.!

You might be wondering whose job it is to put these things in place. Of course it’s the role of the leader. Let us know if we can help. www.licencetolead.com.au

YOUR CULTURE…CHAOS OR CALM?

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DO YOU WORK WITH TURKEYS?BY KEN WARREN

“There is no such thing as a weird human being, It's just that some people require more understanding than others.”  Tom Robbins, American Author !!I recently was given cause to wonder about the similarities between bush turkeys and those other real-life turkeys. You know, the ones we have to work with – managers who are hopeless, team members who have no idea of their negative impact on others, and individuals who are simply not a good fit for your workplace. !!Our family recently had an up-close experience with a turkey, when a bush turkey decided to move in with our chickens. At first, we thought it funny. We joked we had a turkey with an identity crisis. We even named him, Terry the Turkey. Terry decided that the conditions at our home were very nice – food at the ready, lovely accommodation in the chicken house, as well as the company of our chickens. !!We thought that Terry would eventually go away. We were wrong. Then we thought that we could get used to it. We were wrong on that one as well. Terry was not a good team player. He stressed the chickens, ate their food, and, worst of all, raided my wife, Christy’s, herb garden. !

Turkeys at work are similar to Terry in many ways. We don’t always choose them. !!Sometimes, we discover ourselves working alongside them as we start in a new team. Or we inherit them when we take on a new leadership role. Like me, you might think they will eventually move on or you can find a way to live with them. But, over time, some turkeys will wear you down by consistently causing problems for you, not to mention the other chickens … sorry, team members.!!Our family tried to motivate Terry to leave, initially by chasing him and flapping our arms. Terry responded by flying into a nearby tree and looking down very amused.! !Good leaders also try to motivate their problem team members, perhaps in more positive ways – aligning strengths with responsibilities, giving meaningful recognition, having work-it-out conversations, and, later, the more firm type of discussions. Sometimes, these approaches can be helpful. But some turkeys do not change their feathers. !!We also tried changing the environment – we stopped Terry’s access to the chicken food. We moved Christy’s herbs from the back to the front of our house. I even bought an owl statue with a rotating head designed to scare Terry away. Unfortunately, the owl only succeeded in terrifying our chickens. Terry was not fazed one bit.!!Good leaders also use environmental changes to shape team members’ behaviour – giving training, providing additional support or coaching, even moving them into a different team that may be a better fit - helpful for many people, but not for all.!!Someone suggested adding alcohol to the!

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DO YOU WORK WITH TURKEYS? (CONT.)turkey’s food, making Terry easier to catch. We decided that wasn’t the right thing to do. It probably isn’t the right thing to do with colleagues either!!!Fortunately, we didn’t have to resort to radical strategies. We were eventually able to capture Terry and transported him, in a box, to bushland about two kilometres away – a turkey nirvana where the turkeys run free. Terry is much happier we think. And so are we. !!Good leaders know that there are times to engage problem team members, to shape their behaviour, and simply put up with the odd turkey they have. But they also know there are times when certain team members are not a good fit and decisive actions need to be taken. !

!Some turkeys we might learn to love. Others we might need to live with. Some need to be helped to find a better home.!!Ken Warren BA, M Soc Sc, CSP is a Relationships Specialist who helps teams to perform at their very best. Through his enjoyable and interact ive speaking programs, Ken will help your people to build even stronger, more positive and productive teams; work more easily with difficult colleagues and clients; and enhance their resilience and well-being at work. Check out all of his free resources t h r o u g h h i s w e b s i t e www.positivepeoplesolutions.com.au!

REHEARSE OVER THE RADIO

Exceptional presenters rehearse. Yes I know it’s not great news! And then they rehearse and rehearse and rehearse. And then when they think they know it well, they rehearse over the radio. Not over the top of your favourite CD where you can predict what’s happening in the music. It must be over the noisy, chaotic radio. If you rehearse over the radio and you can deliver the whole thing without beaming flustered or losing your train of thought then you’ll be sure to do a great job on the day.

Rehearsal is different to rote learning. When rehearsing you just need to get the gist of the message each time. Not every word the same every time.

Remember that you are likely to be interrupted by audience members who either distract without meaning to (arriving late or leaving early, or looking at their mobile devices in an

obvious way), or who distract you when they need to ask you a question throughout your presentation. This is why you need to be comfortable with your material — don’t treat it like a recitation. www.michellebowden.com.au

BY MICHELLE BOWDEN!

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CONFIDENT SPEAKING VOCALS–AUDIOA confident, persuasive speaking voice lies within you!

Many of us know someone who has a strong, rich, resonant voice. Maybe it’s an actor like Sean Connery or Cate Blanchett.

At some point you may have found yourself wishing that you could enhance your vocal quality and projection so you were more compelling, influential and persuasive when speaking in meetings, persuading your manager, or selling to your clients.

Well you know it’s possible, and it’s easy! Creating a rich, resonant influential voice is all about warming up your voice, and this CD will take you through the warm-ups that actually work one by one. Enjoy!

EXCEPTIONAL PRESENTATION DESIGN–DVDYou can design an exceptional presentation in a minimum amount of time!

Imagine how helpful it would be if you could have your very own coach taking you through the design process for an exceptional presentation. That’s exactly what this DVD is for!

If you have a presentation to write, simply play this DVD and Michelle Bowden will coach you through the design of an exceptional presentation from beginning to end. It couldn’t be simpler!

An ideal accompaniment to Michelle’s book How to Present, you’ll be reminded how to identify the purpose of your presentation, analyse your audience and design a powerful message that influences your audience to change their thinking and/or behaviour using techniques that actually work!

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HOW TO PRESENT–TIPS FROM THE MASTERS–AUDIO SERIESFast-track your presentation and speaking skills success by discovering the presentation secrets of 14 of Australia’s top conference keynote presenters.

What would be possible for your career and income if you absorbed the wisdom of Australia’s top speaking professionals and could learn from their tips and their mistakes? Well, now you can in this series of insightful interviews by Australia’s #1 Presentation Skills Expert–Michelle Bowden. Learn critical presentation tips from the amazing: Amanda Gore, Lisa McInnes-Smith, Glenn Capelli, Alan Parker, Siimon Reynolds, Rodney Marks, Sam Cawthorn, Marty Wilson, Terry Hawkins, Dale Beaumont, Catherine DeVrye, David Penglase, Avril Henry and Bruce Sullivan.

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TESTIMONIAL about Michelle’s training:

"Michelle ran a Persuasive Presentations Course for me and my team at Vodafone. It was an intense, exhilarating, well structured, insightful and great fun. Michelle is an absolute delight to work with. She was able to tailor her feedback to each individual and help us all to step outside our comfort zone and try something different. It doesn't matter how polished you think you are with presenting, Michelle will be able to help you be even better. I have verbally passed on Michelle's details to many colleagues and have no hesitation in recommending her work. !

For more information on Michelle’s coaching or training please go to www.michellebowden.com.au

FROM JACKIE GILES, BUSINESS SERVICES DIRECTOR, GEORGE WESTON FOODS

HOW DO I TAP INTO PEOPLE’S HOT BUTTONS? BY DAVID PENGLASE

Here are some tips to help you better pitch your idea, product or service.!!

Ask more questions.!!Listen to the trivial (you never know what

you might miss when the client is on about something that may seem trivial to you, but has a direct connection with their real buying needs).!!

Don't be too quick to address a specific need as soon as you hear it - make a note (mental or written) and keeping asking questions to confirm as much about their specific situation.!!

Help clients prioritize their needs and then address each need in turn, seeking feedback along the way about their opinions and feelings about what you're presenting.!!

Don't be too quick to 'read and interpret' their body language - listen to how they feel and think and you'll more likely tap into their true 'hot buttons'. http://intentionomics.com

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TIPS FROM A PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER MURRAY ALTHAM!PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER! !

Murray Altham has been working with health and peak performance for 30 years. He is a transformative keynote speaker and workshop facilitator, energising audiences to bravely explore the unrestrained possibilities of their potential. Murray is the Author of Choose Excellent Health, "the simplest book about health on the planet" where you learn to build a campaign to look better, feel better and have more energy. www.peakperformancebubble.com !Here are Murray’s tips for us when speaking in business:!

Be prepared to the level that if the projector blows up, the microphone doesn't work, you spill coffee on your shirt, and the air conditioning dies in the middle of summer, you can STILL

deliver a great presentation full of bold flavour and rich content.!Connect with your audience. The most effective way to connect is to find common ground.!Have a clear picture of your desired outcome. What behaviour change or life enhancemen t w i l l make t h i s a successful investment of time for your audience?!Look good, smell good, carry a hanky and polish your shoes. !Every presenting environment is different so arrive early to be confident in your surroundings. !Warm up your voice. A prepared, relaxed voice is easier to listen to and protects your asset.!Keep slides to a minimum.!Know you are there to serve the audience, take them on a rewarding journey with your expertise.!Help your audience feel safe and confident to explore ideas outside their comfort zone.!Have fun, know your stuff and relax! People learn best when they’re enjoying themselves and you’ll have a good time too!!

For more information take a look at Murray’s book called Choose Excellent Health

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FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY LEADERSHIP MATTERS !BY GREG MOWBRAY !AND FOREWORD BY WAYNE BENNETT!!Leadership is the most important issue going on in our organisations and institutions today. Leadership guru, John C Maxwell reckons “everything rises and fall on leadership” and I believe him!!!After a 30 year professional career, the first 20 working in a range of organisations and the last 10 as a business consultant, I reckon I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly. One thing I know for sure is that there is a direct link between the success or failure of the organisation and the quality of the leadership. Organisations that are dynamic, kicking goals and happy have good, strong leadership. By contrast, organisations that are struggling to perform, losing customers and finding it hard to hold on to staff usually have ineffective leaders.!!So here’s the thing … most people want to do better at leadership, but they just don’t know where to start in order to improve. !!The book I have just launched, ‘Road Rules for Leadership’ is a simple, practical guide to effective leadership. In fact, one of the most respected and acclaimed leaders in Australia, Wayne Bennett has said “Follow the advice in this book and you’ll be a better leader.”!!The book focuses on the 21 ‘road rules’ that can guide your leadership journey. Each rule has practical, straightforward advice that you can put into action immediately to improve

your leadership. The rules are group into five key areas representing the core competencies of the Licence to leader Leadership Development Model. They are:!!

•! Vision – connecting people with your commonly shared goals!

•! Authenticity – becoming a leader that you team members trust!

•! Action – driving activity in the right direction to achieve results!

•! Responsibility – accepting what we need to do and getting it done!

•! Inspiration – finding your personal ability to lead and inspire others!!

For more information on Greg’s Leadership training or his new book please visit: www.roadrulesforleadership.com or greg@licencetolead.com.au.!!And the good nerds it's this month’s book giveaway! To claim your very own copy of Leadership Matters be one of the first 5 to email michelle@michellebowden.com.au with the words Leadership Matters in the subject line. Good luck!

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In my experience, everyone who really wants to be a better leader has some success. If you want to be an even stronger leader, understand these differences.!Respect vs Like. Strong leaders care more about being respected than being liked. Now, everyone wants to be liked but sometimes the need to be popular gets in the way of strong leadership.  Consistency. Weak leaders treat individuals differently. They have different sets of rules for people they like compared with those they dislike, or for people that are pushovers as opposed to aggressive. Strong leaders are consistent with their values and how they deal with others. !Decisiveness. You might have heard of the ‘mirror manager.’ This person, when confronted with the need to make a decision says, “I’ll look into it.” Strong leaders are decisive. They get the facts, weigh  up the alternatives, consider the risks and make a decision.  Courage. This is a constant in the life of a strong leader. My old mate Ambrose Redmoon said “courage is not the absence of fear, but

rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear”. Strong leaders do stuff daily that they don’t want to, stuff that weak leaders put off. Like having a difficult conversation, like putting an end to office gossip, like making a tough call on a non-performing staff member.  Humility. Weak leaders reckon they know everything. There is nothing that they haven’t seen before. The last thing they would do is let people know that they weren’t perfect. Strong leaders ask for help. They surround themselves with good people and build them up so, as a team, everyone achieves more. It’s not all about them. No matter where you are currently in terms of your leadership, strive to get fully charged. Let us know if we can help. www.licencetolead.com.au

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STRONG AND WEAK LEADERS BY GREG MOWBRAY

TESTIMONIAL about Michelle’s training:

“Very informative and entertaining. Michelle created a very safe environment to practice skills. I loved the mix of theory and practice and no role plays. I also loved the relaxed feel on presentation day and that it was a small group.” !

For more information on Michelle’s coaching or training please go to www.michellebowden.com.au

FROM KARYN MUSCAT, ASSISTIVE TECHNICAL CONSULTANT, ZYTEQ

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PERSUASION TIP #1Trust. If you want to influence others, and if you want to achieve a result that makes both you and your stakeholder happy, it’s essential you build trust.!

Be sure to do what you say you will do.Be genuine.Be open.Be honest.Be transparent.Be reliable.!

It’s a basic human need to connect with others. Connection occurs when we believe in the other person, we feel safe, and we expect

the person to protect us and do something in our best interest. That’s what trust is. For this reason, if you ever do the wrong thing by another be sure to say you're sorry and commit to make a positive change. then be sure to be consistent. !Trust is proven over time, through consistency and openness, through proven actions which are predictable. Trust is an essential part of influence. If people don't trust you, they won't choose to do what you ask.www.michellebowden.com.au

BY MICHELLE BOWDEN!

IS IT TIME YOU IMPROVED YOUR PRESENTATION SKILLS? COME JOIN ME!Dramatically improve the w a y y o u p r e s e n t a n d influence. Attend one of my Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclasses in 2014 and change your life!

Seriously, it’s a life changing experience!

Risk free - 100% money-back guarantee.

Endorsed by thousands of people from over a hundred corporations around Australia.

I n t e r a c t i v e a n d personalised.

Facil itated by Michelle Bowden who has over 20 years experience running her programs and who has been nominated for Educator of the Year for the last 7 years.

A b s o r b y o u r s e l f i n a generative and experiential approach. Learn something then practice, then learn something then practice…

Group sizes are limited to only 10 people per program.

Risk free approach to a subject most people find ‘daunting’!

Plenty of time for you to get personal one-on-one time with Michelle’s during the program.

Address your specific, personal needs.

Lear n ing w i th lo ts o f laughter.

Techniques are embedded s o y o u re m e m b e r t h e m decades later.

SYDNEY: FEBRUARY 24-25 (FULL) MARCH 24-25 (2 places) APRIL 28-29 MAY 19-20 JUNE 9-10 JULY 21-22 !To chat about your specific needs or receive more information please email Michelle: michelle@michellebowden.com.au

There’s no need for you to fear public speaking. Please don’t

miss a career opportunity ever again because you couldn’t speak up! Anyone can be an

exceptional presenter in business - 100% guaranteed.

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IF IT’S NOT HELPFUL RE-FRAME IT! BY JON PRATLETT

Say out loud the following;!!“OPPORTUNITYISNOWHERE”. !!Read it again and see if you can interpret it differently. If you cannot see a positive and negative interpretation – look again! How are you interpreting life?! !You can choose how you interpret or frame any situation, as Victor Frankl articulated so well in his book “Man’s Search for Meaning” about surviving the Auswitz Concentration Camp. Events or situations do not have inherent meaning; rather, you assign them a meaning based on how you interpret the event. "Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns. I am thankful thorns have roses.” “When life deals you a lemon – make lemonade”.!!Reframing or reappraisal means “changing how we think about a situation in order to decrease its emotional impact” (Gross, 2001). The ability to reframe is a key skill in today's world.!!In reframing you choose what an event means to you. Edward de Bono's famous 6 Thinking Hats provide different frames within which to view a situation or challenge. !!

When things go wrong you can reframe your thoughts by looking for potential benefits (Yellow hat). You can reframe using the Green hat to look creatively for how you can use the situation rather than be a victim of it.!!

“It wasn’t a mistake, it was a learning experience”.!“We’re not retreating…we’re just advancing in a different direction!”!“I can’t do that.... yet.”!!

Reframing what appears to be a negative, puts you into a more resourceful state by changing your viewpoint. Your frame of mind impacts your choices and productivity, and that of others around you. When not feeling particularly resourceful reframing can help.To your success. www.jonpratlett.com

Presenters sometimes think they can disarm an audience by announcing their nervousness before anyone notices it. This is a mistake because often your audience didn't even notice it.!Most nervousness isn’t visible because it’s an internal state. When you tell people you’re nervous speaking to them, chances are they’ll

look for signs of it from that point on. Why undermine your own credibility?!Make sure your design the message with your audience in mind, rehearse the message s you know you know it an then just put your best foot forward and your audience will love you! www.michellebowden.com.au

DON’T TELL THEM YOU’RE NERVOUSBY MICHELLE BOWDEN!

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CD OF THE MONTH Thinking of improving your

presentation skills but don’t want to go on a training program? You need to grab a copy of How to Present - Tips from the Master. Tips from 14 of Australia’s top

public speakers. Go to my website

YUM! Vegan “yoghurt” made out of coconut cream! A treat worth

salivating over. COYO is Australian made and owned.

GIFTS A major guide to all the music

you need to hear before you die. Here is a link to one online

retailer.  MICHELLELOVES...

Here are some of my favourite things for you

HEALTH Raw Cacao products are a source

of beta-carotene, amino acids (protein), Omega-3 essential fatty acids, calcium, zinc, iron, copper,

sulphur, potassium, and one of the best food sources of muscle

relaxing, stress relieving magnesium.

ACCOMMODATION I loved staying at the Olsen hotel 637 Chapel Street South Yarra. What a stunning place! Highly recommended for business

travellers. And with a Fine Arts Degree, I was in heaven!!!

ACCOMMODATION !

Another photo of the Olsen - seriously - it was excellent!

BEAUTY MAC Phlox Garden limited edition fluidline eye-liner gel. Perfect for

anyone with green eyes!

BOOK OF THE MONTH

OK, I know it’s MY book! If you are serious about really improving your business presentation skills then you need this book. Go to

my website

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Photo Gallery

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Photo Gallery

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