by Zoe Training staff

During the past several years, David C. Sanford has answered the demand by global companies to provide insights into how to successfully understand and communicate effectively with Indian nationals. Having spent more than thirteen years living and working abroad including assignments in the UK, Taiwan, India, Iran, Italy, and Japan, he has an intimate understanding and insight into the challenges faced by those living and/or working in multicultural environments.

1. What’s your favorite topic(s) to present on? Why?

The challenge of communicating with someone from a different culture. As the world has become flatter we are now all interacting more than ever with people who view things such as punctuality, the word “YES,” and building trust radically differently than we do. Whether it is the Help Desk person that we contact, the grocery store clerk or co-worker, my skill is creating communication bridges so that all can communicate more effectively.

2. Why did you become a speaker/trainer?

My mother, bless her heart, often said that I had the “gift of gab.”  Having been raised outside of the USA in Taipei, London, and New Delhi, I have always been fascinated by travel and learning about new cultures and perspectives. My passion to share this curiosity and “wider world view” with others led me quite naturally into speaking with others about my experiences and insights.

3. What are some things that surprise you or inspire you about your interactions with clients/participants?

Participants’ willingness to look at their own assumptions and be open to communicating and in some cases behaving differently than they generally do.

4. Three words that describe your presentation style:

Interactive, Engaging, Enthusiastic

5. Do you have a favorite quote? What/why?

“Culture hides more than it reveals, and strangely enough, what it hides it hides most effectively from its own participants.”
–Edward Hall, world-renowned anthropologist, lecturer and consultant

When someone asks us what are the main values of our culture, we often find it difficult to list and describe them as they are so close; we don’t usually think much about them; rather we discuss topics such as politics (or we avoid this one), news, weather, or how our favorite sports team just did. It’s only when we are faced with trying to understand someone’s behavior from a different culture that we must reflect on our own.

6.Tell us a recent book you’ve read and would recommend:

Sky Burial by Xinran: An epic story of a Chinese woman who searches for her husband, spending 30 years living with the nomads of Tibet. This is a short, fascinating read that captivates.

Inquire about David Sanford

by D.J. Vanas

The magical, mystical glue that holds teams together is trust.  With it, we see people follow their leaders through the fires of change, challenge, doubt and fear.  Without it, people won’t follow their leader to the bathroom.  But how do we build that trust and strengthen our relationships, our connections and ultimately influence how well we lead others?

Through communication.

We are all like human radio stations, transmitting information to those around us at all times.  We communicate through e-mail, texting and speaking, but also through our body language and most importantly, through the example we set with our actions.  In the end, our goal as leaders is to communicate in a way that strengthens the bond of trust and enables us to have more influence and impact with those we lead. Whether they are teammates, co-workers, fellow community member or our own families, good communication is a must.

In the extreme, miscommunication can cause injuries or even death in arenas such as the military, operating heavy machinery or medicine. However, if we don’t continually work to prevent miscommunications in our own lives, we can create disruptions that can break down trust, waste energy, time and money and cause confusion or chaos.  To prevent this, three elements of great communication require us to be:

Clear – Before we communicate, we must ask ourselves Am I trying to communicate clearly or am I trying to impress others?  Sometimes when egos get the best of us instead of trying to communicate clearly, we try to impress those around us with flowery speech and a stunning vocabulary.  Speak and write in the simplest terms you can get away with, not to “dumb down” the message, but to make sure it’s being transmitted in a way that all will receive.  The goal here is clear communication – not showing off.

Concise – Why write something in three pages that could be communicated in three paragraphs?  Why say something in ten minutes that should take two?  Bigger is not better, especially in communication.  We live in an era where information overload is the new normal.  The longer and more complex we make our messages, the less impact they have on the intended audience.  Instead, be concise in your communication with your people; trim the fat and the fluff until what you have left is a message worth their time – and attention.

Consistent – The first time water flows over a prairie, it spreads everywhere.  The second time, it starts to follow a pattern of flow.  By the thousandth time, it’s cut a deep channel.  Communication works the same way.  If we say positive, encouraging and clarifying statements to our people over and over again and they accuse us of being like a “broken record” we can just smile.  We’ll know that our communication is working.  And when your people are confused or stressed, what messages will cut through the clutter?  You got it, the broken record messages that you’ve provided will keep them resilient and on track.  Provide a safety net of good ideas and consistently affirming communication to your people and you’ll see how easy it is to keep the team headed in the right direction.

Follow the 3 Cs of great communication and you’ll become a more effective leader, see how much better your teams respond and perform, and how much easier life and work are when everyone is on the same sheet of music!

by Julie Miller

A survey was recently conducted in which over 1,000 professional people were asked what they were most bothered about when it came to writing. The overwhelming answer: Getting started and getting organized. Here are some tips to getting started and getting organized with any document you have to write:

1.     Consider your audience first and foremost. You can be a brilliant writer but if your words do not connect with the reader, you’re (or, I should say, they are…) lost. Think who is my reader and what do they need to know (rather than, what do I want to tell them)? Keep an image of your reader in your mind’s eye. How does your reader feel or think about your topic?

2.     Next, consider your purpose. Fill in this statement: My purpose is (what) __________ so that my reader will do __________ (what)? Are you persuading, explaining, selling, or entertaining? All communication with your customer should be focused around audience and purpose.

3.     Next, think about the major points you want to get across in your correspondence. Be clear and concise. Do not dance around the topic. Get to the point quickly. Frame your document around your key points. For example: Are there two new billing procedures that need explaining? Five reasons your customer should contract with you rather than your competition? Three money-saving ideas available with the new customer service plan?

4.     Go beyond the formal outline. Who remembers the correct format, who cares and what does it have to do with getting started on your writing project? Not much. Now, I’m not saying that you don’t need some organizing tool to capture your ideas, but the formal outline hinders rather than helps in the writing process. Think about the time (and creative energy) you waste trying to mesh your ideas with the outline format. Instead, use a graphic organizer–Mind Mapping, Idea Mapping–they are called different things, but the approach will change your life.

5.     Use your Idea Map to get started with whatever section is easiest. You could start with the body of the document and then come back to the beginning and ending. Writing is not a sequential process. Use your Idea Map (graphic organizer) to get you started.

6.     Draft is a draft is a draft. Tell yourself that no one will read the first draft and that though this is a necessary and sometimes daunting chore, you’ll get through it.

I leave you with this: Think about your business. What are the hidden costs in time lost while you circled the computer? Would it surprise you to learn how much time your employees waste by not getting started on a writing project? The amount of waste–of time, money, energy, plus missed opportunities–from not getting started and getting writing is inestimable.

Dr. Julie Miller, founder of Business Writing That Counts!, is a national consultant and trainer who helps professionals reduce their writing time and produce powerful documents. She and her team of certified trainers work with executives who want to hone their writing skills and professionals who want to advance their careers.

by Zoe Training staff

Have you ever had the feeling that what someone is saying is not what they mean? Is this just intuition, or are you noticing micro-expressions? What are you saying to people by the way you use your hands, position your body, and move your eyes? Anna Conrad, an expert in organizational effectiveness and leadership development, answers these questions and more in her highly interactive Body Language workshop, and helps participants explore the true meaning behind their words and the people with whom they communicate. Anna explains in our latest Zoe interview why this is her favorite training topic, and she also shares some important wisdom she’s gathered along the way.

What’s your favorite topic(s) to present on? Why?

I love Body Language because this is something that everyone is interested in, and no matter who you are or what you do, this is a topic that affects every relationship and every area of your life.

What’s the most unusual location (or circumstances) you’ve presented in?

I was hired by a large government agency to facilitate a communications workshop.  When we arrived at the facilities (which was a historic mansion), it turns out that the session was to occur in two rooms at the same time, connected by a door.  I had to facilitate the session standing in the doorway – a very difficult thing to do since my style is not lecture but interaction.  It worked out very well, and they asked me to facilitate three more sessions.  I agreed, but only on the condition that we could switch locations.

What are some things that surprise you or inspire you about your interactions with clients/participants?

I always learn something from my participants.  Whether it is another way to look at the topic or a way to improve my skills, I always look forward to gaining insight.

What are your most popular presentation topics?

• Body Language
• Team Effectiveness sessions
• Communication Skills
• Leadership Styles
• Conflict
• Change

Three words that describe your presentation style:

Engaging; down to earth; insightful.

Do you have a favorite quote? What/why?

1.  “Never doubt that a small group of people can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.“  I love this quote from Margaret Mead because it is true for organizations who desire a culture change.  All it takes is one or two thought leaders to inspire others an pave the way before changes start occurring.

2.  “He who has nothing to die for is not fit to live.“  by MLK, Jr. I love this quote because it ignites passion in people, or it gives people a chance to remember what they used to have passion about.

by Sarah Michel

Recently a brilliant friend and colleague described to me how she felt attending a professional meeting where she didn’t know anyone sitting around her as being, “awkward and painful,” when she found herself at a loss for how to break the ice with someone she doesn’t know.  Here was someone who has so much to offer anyone lucky enough to engage in conversation with her but her reluctance to initiate interaction caused her to avoid eye contact and retreat inward and miss out on the potential network relationships sitting around her.  These are the people that keep me up at nights.

I have had a life-long fascination with people who have a natural preference for introversion and think that they’re really bad at breaking the ice and talking to people they don’t know.  These people (you know who you are) also think they’re bad at networking, which couldn’t be farther from the truth.  In my experience, they may not work the room and come away with the most business cards but the few people they do meet they will make a meaningful connection with that actually has a high chance of continuing on after the first meeting.  That is how you build a great network – one relationship at a time.

In today’s constantly changing, crazy busy world, your success will be determined by the breadth of people you know and how quickly you can get the information or resource you need to do your job faster, better, or easier.  The more people you meet who live in worlds you don’t even know about yet, the stronger your network will be.  No matter if you’re breaking the ice online or in person, how you phrase your first opening question to capture the attention of the receiver is critical because you have less than 15 seconds to do it.  People are moving at warp speed and you simply won’t break through the million thoughts running through their mind or get them to stop and pay attention to you if you’re not compelling.

Here are 10 proven ice breakers to help you break in and make out with anyone, anywhere, anytime:

• “This is my first time at a meeting like this, how about you?”
• “Tell me about yourself and how you spend most of your time?
• “What has been the best part of your week so far?”
• “What do you like doing when you’re not at work?”
• “What do you love about your profession?”
• “What’s the most interesting project you’ve worked on in the past year?
• “What keeps you up at night, what’s your biggest challenge?”
• “What’s your number one customer’s biggest concern right now?”
• “Who do you most admire in your company and why?”
• “What do you wish your coworkers really knew about you?”

I hope these ice breakers will give you the confidence to start conversations that will lead to amazing connections and opportunities for you if you’re willing to give it a try.

The world is waiting to meet you!

Sarah Michel, CSP, is an international speaker who works with organizations and associations, creating behavioral changes by teaching people how to intentionally connect with anyone, anywhere, anytime through her Perfecting Connecting® keynote and training programs.

by Zoe Training staff

A body language expert and teacher of unconscious persuasion skills, Traci Brown shows participants how to use her techniques in all sorts of business negotiations and in interactions with personal clients, and has even adapted the skills to talk herself out of an embarrassing number of traffic tickets. Traci shares some personal insights and words of wisdom in our latest Zoe Spotlight interview.

Words that describe your presentation style:

Engaging and laugh-out-loud funny.

What’s the most unusual way you’ve been paid to speak?

When I first started out and was just getting my feet wet, once I was paid for a speech with fireworks.  It was a nonprofit group and they didn’t have cash, so I took them and had lots of fun.

What are your most popular presentation topics?

Body language and unconscious persuasion is by far my post popular.  People like to leave with tools that are immediately usable and can have a big impact on the bottom line.

Why did you become a speaker/trainer?

Speaking is a way to affect lots of people at once.  It’s just a more effective use of resources than one-on-one coaching.  I’ll always do coaching; speaking is just an expansion of that.  Additionally, for me it fills my need of excitement and performing when the pressure is on. Bike racing used to do this for me.  Now I’ve replaced it with speaking.

Are you involved in any community projects/issues?

I’m the director of the Colorado Aloha Festival, a two-day celebration of the Hawaiian culture: music, art, food, and hula dancing.  20,000+ people attend.  And yes, I’m a hula dancer.

What’s your favorite quote?

“Excuses are the tools that allow you to deny the truth and destroy opportunity.”  While I was racing I had a coach that would tell me this.  And as much as I hated it at the time now I know he was right.

by Julie Miller

E-mail has become the most important information vehicle today and its usage increases hourly eclipsing other modes of communication. Of course, therein lies the rub. Because writing-and poor business writing specifically-is now on show for all to see, the pandemic of sloppy writing is proliferating at the speed of light! And the cost? Inestimable! Irate clients, passed-over promotions, and damaged reputations are a high price to pay for not taking the cure to remedy your writing ailments. The treatment? Apply these six e-mail writing tips daily.

Six E-mail Writing Tips

1. Get to the point!

Since you have readers with little attention span, always answer this question as you begin writing: My purpose is WHAT so that my reader will do WHAT?

2. Always, always keep your reader in mind.

Ask yourself: Who is my reader and what does he/she need to know? Keep an image of your reader in your mind’s eye. How does the reader feel or think about my topic? Write down six questions the reader might have about your topic.

3. Does your e-mail come full circle?

In other words, if you were to read just your introduction and conclusion, would the reader know what your message is about? Since readers tend to scan e-mails, repeat the focus of your e-mail in the last sentence.

4. Eliminate the Ultimate Weasel Word: There.

As you work to make your writing clearer and simpler, eliminate the word there. There forces you into using passive voice. For example, There is, there was, there are. Your writing will become more concise, clear, and dynamic by removing this “weasel word.” Dull, flat writing wastes time and shows little thought on the part of the writer.

5. Short and sweet is still a good motto.

Unnecessary words clutter your writing and confuse reader. Asking yourself how can I say this more clearly and concisely should trigger your editing. Think the Nifty Fifteen Rule: fifteen words to one sentence.

6. Simple is best.

Remember, you are having a conversation with your reader. You write to inform, persuade, or motivate-not to impress with the depth of your vocabulary. How will you engage readers if they don’t understand?

Dr. Julie Miller, founder of Business Writing That Counts!, is a national consultant and trainer who helps professionals reduce their writing time and produce powerful documents. She and her team of certified trainers work with executives who want to hone their writing skills and professionals who want to advance their careers.

by Anna Conrad

Imagine [insert your favorite sports team here] without a head coach. What would happen? Who would guide the team and keep them all working together towards one common goal: to win the game? The same thing is true with your team – they need a good leader who understands what it takes to be a good coach.

But what does it mean to be a good coach? It is not just yelling at everyone to move faster or pick up the ball. Coaching is a skill that combines motivation, integrity, and knowledge. Do you have what it takes to be a good coach?

• Coach to a specific behavior. Don’t just yell at your employee to “get it right!” What exactly do they need to do? Instruct them to measure the angle using a specific tool to teach them and ensure success next time.
• Make sure the behavior is observable. “Don’t be so stupid!” May be something that you say inside your head, but what comes out needs to be more helpful. What exactly did they do, and did you observe it? Avoid the temptation to rely on others to tell you; only coach to behaviors your have observed, not what you have heard about.
• Coach to one or two behaviors at a time. Pick one or two key things for the person to focus on to improve his performance. Not only does this allow the person to focus their energy, but it is usually not overwhelming or demotivating.
• Be a good listener. There is a reason you have two ears and only one mouth. Listen carefully without interrupting. Observe the other person’s body language. Sometimes what is being said is not as important as what is not being said.
• Don’t let your ego get in the way. Just because you may have been great at your technical job doesn’t mean that you will be a great supervisor. Remember, some of the best coaches have never played the game professionally. Don’t assume your way of doing things is the only way. Allow your staff to get the results the way they think is best; they may come up with a process or procedure that is faster and more effective.

Being a good coach takes time, practice, and experience. Sometimes the hardest thing about leading people is realizing that they don’t need us to tell them what to do (even if think we know the answer), they just need us to help make them better.

Anna Conrad, JD, is an expert in organizational effectiveness and leadership development, and she is President of Impact Leadership Solutions. Anna Conrad has over a decade of experience in executive and leadership coaching, group facilitation, leadership development, and training. She has been a trusted confidante to leaders in numerous Fortune 500 companies, including the financial, telecommunications, legal, and health-care sectors, as well as in academia, government, and nonprofits.

by Zoe Training staff

With the employment situation in flux in recent years, Paul Unks’ career management expertise has come in handy for many people who need to regain their footing by either clarifying their career objectives or identifying new career options. And because career ups and downs can be the source of so much stress, Paul is also there to help individuals understand how stress impacts our daily lives and what we can do about it to alleviate the potential negative effects. In this interview, Paul talks about the joys of teaching his favorite topics and the mutual benefits that are gained by working together with participants.

What’s your favorite topic(s) to present on? Why?

1) Career Life Transition and Development, 2)Managing Stress and Wellness (“The Joy of Stress”) and 3) Communications and Team Building

I love teaching and facilitating workshops on these three topics.

I get a great deal of satisfaction from helping people to identify and then achieve the career position where they will be: fulfilled, very productive and successful, and in the right environment.  Career Life Development knowledge and skills are increasingly important and needed in our world today. Whether someone has been laid off through no fault of their own, if they are seeking a clearer direction and path to a more rewarding career, or if they want to further advance their career proactively in their current organization, they can benefit greatly from three key areas: 1) Assessment and Goal-Setting: Knowing how to do a clarifying self-assessment that accurately identifies their unique individual strengths and priorities (not artificially force fits them into one category that most traditional tests attempt to put people in). Then they need to know how to use the results of their assessment to see how their priorities best fit into the current job market segments in order to establish goals that are both desirable and viable. 2) Research and Confirmation of their top potential career goals; Knowing how to effectively research and conduct the early stages of networking so that they can be at peace with what they choose, as well as that which they choose not to do.

3) Setting up and Executing an effective Marketing strategy to attain the goal: Knowing how to prepare and deliver a clear and compelling message to their targeted market through networking, in their resume, letters and in some entrepreneurial cases, their website, as well as interviewing and negotiation. Being good at these aspects and knowing how to leverage key differentiators goes a long way to helping them gain an advantage in a very competitive market.

There are many aspects involved in each of the above areas, but it can all be more concisely boiled down to helping people address three questions:

1) Who am I? 2) Where am I going? and 3) How am I going to get there? It is by effectively addressing these questions that we can become more who we are.

I also love to help people better understand and manage their stress and wellness. I like to help people get a better handle on their most significant sources of stress, the major things, as well as the smaller seemingly less significant things they might otherwise overlook. And then it is important to understand how these different sources of stress impact on us both mentally and physically, how it can negatively effect our thought process, communication, performance and health. Once they have a good understanding of the progressive sequence, or chain, of mental and physical stress reactions, and where they are individually in that sequence, they are in a much better position to effectively manage their stress. We also take a look at the benefits and blessings of stress, and how to use the good kind of stress to combat and defeat the negative effects of distress. Finally we end on selecting from a long list of many things we can do to protect ourselves from the damaging effects of stress, prevent potential problems, or when required; how to get out of and reverse a downward unhealthy spiral someone might be in. Each person in the workshop leaves with an individualized assessment and action plan to protect themselves from their greatest risks and to proactively promote greater health and wellness for themselves. As a result, they have a much greater awareness and control over their unique stress situations and health, and are able to perform better as well.

Teaching and facilitating interpersonal communication and team building I find both rewarding and fun. I enjoy helping people gain greater insight to their own and others’ naturally preferred ways of working and communicating, and how these can present challenges, as well as be leveraged as advantages to the team so they can more effectively achieve shared goals.

I like to teach a simple and successful four-step team building model they can use to clearly see where they are strong and where they are vulnerable. They can also use the same four-step process to more effectively solve problems and mange projects as well. I like to include a key piece in this highly interactive workshop I call “The Power of Active Listening.” Very few people have ever had a class on listening skills. But it is one of, if not the most important communication skill of all. Yet it almost always gets short shrift in our education and training system. Once each person on the team has a better understanding of their own and each others’ main tendencies, what each finds easy and difficult, they are in a much better position leverage their strengths, and better accommodate each other. Where previously they might  have seen a certain team mate’s particular tendency as purposely being annoying, they now understand that he or she just comes by it naturally. There are many ways people can have fun in this workshop and become more enlightened in the process. One of the take aways I like participants to get out of the workshop is an enhanced sense of trust in each other and more enjoyment in working together.

Three words that describe your presentation style:

Dynamic, Engaging and Authentic

Do you have a favorite quote? What/why?

“Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford

I also like, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” – Dr. George Draper, founder of physiological psychology in America. Therapist to Franklin Roosevelt and supreme court justice William O. Douglas. Both of these famous men credit Dr. Draper with helping them overcome their respective phobias and fears.

by Zoe Training staff

Perfecting Connecting© – what Sarah Michel calls her networking strategies to promote personal and professional success – aptly describes her expertise on the art of intentional connecting. And Sarah should know the power of networking: as a cancer survivor, Sarah’s network helped save her life. And now as a speaker, she shares the lessons she learned from her inspirational journey to motivate her audiences to connect not just for the moment, but for life.

What’s your favorite topic(s) to present on? Why?

NetWORTHing™, which is the new way to network if you want to build social capital in today’s reciprocal business climate.  I teach people how to communicate their value proposition to their network to grow their networth.  I’m all about connecting so my topics are focused on ways to improve your connection to your customers, coworkers (team building), and colleagues.  I’m a certified practitioner with Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and help people discover the power in personality differences to encourage innovation, networking, creativity, and problem solving.

Three words that describe your presentation style:

High energy, Interactive, Humorous

What are your favorite groups of people to work with?

Professional Associations, Nonprofits, Healthcare Organizations, Entrepreneurs

Do you have a favorite quote? What/why?

‘You can have anything you want in life, if you help others get what they need first.” – Zig Ziglar

This is the mantra of a true connector, and if you stand in the intersection of your life looking for ways to connect people, opportunities and ideas, you will experience true happiness and reap rewards beyond your wildest dreams.

What are some things that surprise you or inspire you about your interactions with clients/participants?

I’m surprised and delighted when someone tells me they always thought of themselves as a “bad networker” or someone who “hated networking,” but after hearing me speak, they discover a whole new way to look at. I love when they tell me they had a complete paradigm shift and now walk away with a whole new game plan for how to approach their network and for the first time, feel like they can be successful at it. I’m always inspired when my story of how my network helped saved my life when I battled cancer five years ago, inspires someone to reach out to their network for support. There is no better feeling for me then to think my story will positively impact someone else’s healthcare challenge.

Are you involved in any community projects/issues?

I’m on the board for Partners in Housing in Colorado Springs which helps homeless families achieve self-sufficiency and ultimately home ownership. It’s a two-year program commitment and we have a 75 percent success rate with our partners. I have been an active volunteer for over a decade and on a mission to end homelessness in Colorado Springs. I’m also involved with our school district and special education services because I have a daughter with learning disabilities.