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Don't be stingy with yourself
and call it modesty or professionalism.
Get real, tell us what life has taught you,
and let's make something happen.
We trust people who are willing
to be authentic.
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"Creating Your Own Shift," Charlotte Business Journal, May 15, 2009. The answer to your challenges with people, work and life itself is usually right above your shoes. It's you — and the way you communicate. Here are 10 strategies for creating a shift in the way you communicate: 1. Relate (times three). Your ability to make an impact at work and in life is about your relationships. This is problematic if you're living in your e-mail inbox, iPod or TV. Try having three stimulating conversations each day — not just quick hellos at the gym or the grocery. Make genuine connections. 2. Learn something. Learning builds confidence and makes you more interesting. Listen to e-books in your car. Take a course and research something online. Stay current with trends. Be an expert on your interests and your work.
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"Getting Back to the Music." Charlotte Business Journal, April 20, 2009. As the country watches executives take down big bonuses in taxpayer money, we have less and less evidence that leaders are trustworthy. Authentic leaders have to make a commitment to self-awareness, imperfection and candid truth-telling. We are in an economic hailstorm. But if we heed the call, we can start making and keeping better promises. When things stabilize, we will be stronger for having gotten back to the music.
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"Ten Ways to Help Navigate the Economy, the Recession." It isn't ALL about the market. That is, unless you keep saying it is. We've already spent too much time talking about whether or not the word "recession" applies. Instead of talking about what you cannot stand, talk about what you stand for. You'll get more done that way. This is not about sugar-coating or pouring pink paint on the challenges. Yes, it's tough out there, and the new year is demanding that you use what you have and learn to adapt.
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"Take Time to Change Like Tiger." Charlotte Business Journal, December 19, 2008. When Tiger Woods changed his swing, most people scratched their heads. He's the No. 1 golfer in the world. Why change? But experts say the ideal swing is not fixed. It is ever-evolving, and Tiger is leading the way. There's a parallel with our business life. The future economy is about taking responsibility for and changing the way we communicate — now. Every day we rush to work to meet about the need to innovate in order to thrive or even survive in a competitive, global economy. But we run awful meetings. And we can't get out of those meetings to accomplish the things we're meeting about. We are very busy, but we are not innovating.
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"The True Edge." Charlotte Business Journal, October 24, 2008. Paul Newman had it right. The companies that survive the tough times are the ones that are in the game to do more than make money. They are in it for excellence, respect and the ability to make people happy...In 1982 the late Paul Newman began the Newman's Own brand, selling pasta sauces and other products. When the profits began kicking in, he decided to begin a camp in Connecticut for kids with cancer, AIDS and other blood-related diseases. He built the camp to look like a Western town and named it the Hole in the Wall Camp from Butch Cassidy.
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"Face It." Charlotte Business Journal, August 15, 2008. When Michael Phelps smiled up from the pool, he was communicating to his mom, teammates, spectators and officials. He was saying something primal with his facial expression, and he was saying it to the people who understand his message the most. The smile is actually a form of embracing others according to researchers like Paul Ekman.Your face is a powerful theater of communication. Regardless of what you actually say, you have another language that can be more powerful.
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"First, Stop." Charlotte Business Journal, July 3, 2008. WA large troupe of improv artists recently pulled off a stunt at Grand Central Station. More than 200 people were scattered across the main concourse, bustling like busy New Yorkers when, at exactly the same time, they became frozen like manikins. For the duration of the five-minute stunt, commuters stopped in their tracks and became mesmerized by that suspension of time.hen things stop, we notice. When there's a gap in the noise, we pay attention. You have an opportunity to stop time as you step to the front of a room to speak. It is a crucial moment in which people perceive who you are. Here you can choose to stop, look people in the eye and make a connection before you open your mouth.
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"Mistake-Free is Usually a Mistake." Charlotte Business Journal. May 9, 2008. I heard former CBS news anchor Dan Rather speak in the 1990s. I was disappointed. He read from a perfectly worded script for 15 minutes, saying all the right things and thanking all the right people. So often, when we make a presentation, we go into a jail house of self-consciousness. We think our experience is not enough. We strive to say the right thing and to be the perfect version of ourselves. But perfection does not play to authentic communication and your ability to connect with listeners. If your talk is controlled and technically perfect, you may put everyone to sleep. If you fumble here and there and forget your place, but speak from the heart, your audience will be engaged.
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"Presence." Charlotte Business Journal. April 11, 2008. Johnny Cash was a man who could fill the room with his presence.He stood 6'2" and cast an even taller shadow. I worked in broadcasting in Nashville, Tennessee for many years.I had many memorable visits backstage at the Grand Ole Opry, like the night I looked into the Green Room, where artists wait to go on stage, and saw the "Man in Black." Since then I've pictured Cash standing there, and realized that part of his presence was the way he moved.He moved with intension.He commanded the room with physical confidence.He had a pull that made people lean toward him.Many of us spend too much time trying to memorize the words, which only creates a lack of presence. When we stand to speak, the adrenaline hits and there is a physical disconnect. We feel uncomfortable -- and words are not enough to engage the listener.
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"Silence is Golden." Charlotte Business Journal, February 29, 2008. It's easy to forget how powerful silence can be.We are all so busy we can hardly bear to stand in line for a latte.We talk on cell phones as we walk to and from the car—using non-words like you know, it is so, like noisy all the time, and then it's like, there's something being said, like all the time. Pausing for a second or two of silence is a deceptively easy act.Many of us are uncomfortable with silence and would prefer to hear ourselves talk.Silence doesn't come easy when we stand to speak, either.As soon as we feel the impact of adrenaline, it seems easier to talk non-stop.Yet silence communicates confidence and thoughtfulness.Speaking is about dynamic energy.Pausing creates magnetic energy.
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"Stories." Charlotte Business Journal, January 18, 2008. From September through January, the TVs at our house are set on NFL football. This past weekend, the Redskins returned home with their four-game winning streak over, along with their campaign to win for the late Sean Taylor.What a game—and what a story. I am not the fan my husband is. He's the one who yelps, screams and pounds pillows while watching. But I am fascinated by the stories behind the games. Your stories and your ability to create meaning are the very things your audience can't get anywhere else. We make sense of life and we understand the world through stories. The story about Sean Taylor and his teammates not only captured the attention of Redskin fans, it created a relationship with a much larger audience that began pulling for the team.Stories about Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre and New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss have done the same thing for those teams.
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"Trying Too Hard." Charlotte Business Journal, December 7, 2007. Whether you're asking for the business, a bigger budget or a promotion, the outcome has a lot to do with your presentation. But when under pressure, many of us do exactly the opposite of what works. We try too hard. If a presenter doesn't have the confidence to relax, listeners can feel it. When I was in broadcasting, we would see this happening to one another and tease, "Careful, your desperation slip is showing."On the other hand, I am in a "zone" of confidence and ability when I can get myself out of the way, offer value and make an authentic connection with listeners. So how do we get confidence?Part of it is sheer practice.You eat, sleep and breathe the material so you can deliver it effortlessly.
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"Face-to-face matters." Charlotte Business Journal, November 16, 2007. Technology has made it easy for us to connect to global conversations. But what about connecting with the person in the next cubicle? Even though technology is woven into our lives, there are no shortcuts to effective communication. To increase the importance of face-to-face time in your company's culture, adopt these suggestions. An organization should value face-to-face communication for these reasons: Action. Face-to-face communication is a catalyst for action. People adopt new ideas as a result of communicating directly with someone of influence. Connectedness. We all need a positive sense of community. People will not thrive in a workplace that depends too much on emails and voice mails. Team interaction will boost the immune system of your business and keep over-sensitivity and doubt from taking root.
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"Technical Presentations." Charlotte Business Journal, October 19, 2007. Most of the advice on business presentations ignores the fact that many industries deal in highly complex, technical projects. For those industries, a request for proposals can demand a big team presentation, a thick handout and more. Here are some tips for ensuring a complex RFP presentation is effective: --Use color models. Some slides have to be complex, but no slide has to be ugly, bland or scary. Find a graphics person who understands how to organize information into a visual design. Attractive slides that use color models help people understand the information. --Adopt the discipline of practice. Practice with the slides until everyone on your team knows the material inside and out. Be able to give clients the gist of each slide in a relaxed way. The soul of the presentation needs to reside with you and your team -- not with the slides.
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"Ban Bad Meetings." Charlotte Business Journal, August 24, 2007. Bad meetings are the No. 1 offender when it comes to squandering the face-to-face time that should be energizing. But what if your employees looked forward to meetings instead of dreading them? To inspire your employees, start by blowing up your weekly meeting. Call together the attendees to announce the old meeting is not working and you need their help in building a new meeting. Create it as a group project. Have all participants tell the team what they want in the new meeting.
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"Speak with Authenticity." Charlotte Business Journal, August 3, 2007. Speak with Authenticity. Most of us struggle to gain the credibility you can only get from being yourself.
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"Business Women of the Year Finalist." Today's Charlotte Woman Magazine, April, 2007. Lou Solomon talks about teaching Authentic Communication and giving back.
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"Don't Focus on the Money." Charlotte Business Journal Big Ideas, 2006. Entrepreneurs talk about what they do and why they do it. "Philosophy: Don't focus on the money. Focus on creating something remarkable."
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Charlotte Business Journal, 2005. "Solomon's company teaches executives to weave stories and authenticity into their presentations and make them more like chatting with friends across a kitchen table instead of talking to a big room of strangers."
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Charlotte Business Journal 2004 Women in Business Achievement Awards. "What we see with our clients is, when people discover they can reconnect with their own sense of enthusiasm, and they come from that place of authenticity, something remarkable happens."
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Greater Charlotte Biz Magazine, 2004. A far cry from your college speech class, Interact goes well beyond the borders of traditional speech coaching...Solomon has developed a cult following of some of the most prominent executives in the area by teaching her brand of authentic expression.
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Charlotte Realtor Reflections Magazine, 2003. Lou Solomon teaches Authentic Speaking to CRRA Leadership Group with videotaped presentations that allow members of the group to coach each other. Final presentations gave participants the opportunity to communicate the value of doing business with them.
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