We’ve all heard this many times before: don’t judge others by their appearance. Yet we still do it. Evidence the recent blast into stardom of Susan Boyle on ‘Britain’s Got Talent.’ She’s been featured on UTube (about 100 million views), on TV, in print, online, and emails are still flying around the world. Her voice coach worries that she’ll be lost in the PR swirl. (Yes, she has a coach.)
From laughter and ridicule to amazement and standing ovation in just a few moments. Many shed tears as they watched and listened to her surprisingly beautiful rendition of one of my favorite songs, “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables. It’s heart warming to know that people can embrace someone so quickly, yet scary to think that just moments before she was openly ridiculed. I’m sure you’ve experienced similar examples of how fickle we can be.
Last week, at the memorial Mass of a friend who died unexpectedly, we learned that she, too, had talents most of us had never known. She had dementia, yet at some point wrote Haiku. I was so impressed with her catchy 3-lined poetry in 5-7-5 syllables -- descriptive, touching, clever words on paper that she could not have verbalized -- I pass these gems on to you, in her memory. The first two refer to her love of the performing arts.
The houselights have dimmed;
A hush descends upon us.
The curtain rises.
The stars are starring
In a play called "Heavenly".
The audience bows.
Her sense of humor and appreciation of the double entendre shine through:
In the streetlights glow
Shadows stretch before my eyes.
Then...it dawned on me.
Perhaps her writing talent could have been developed if she had had a coach to encourage her to stretch and practice, just as Susan Boyle’s coach did for her.
What are your hidden talents? What could you develop if you spent time practicing and stretching yourself? If a couple of things popped into your mind, think about taking action on one of them. You may surprise yourself and everyone you know with what you can do. Even if you don't look like you could.
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Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Be Brief, Be Bright, Be Gone
As I thought about writing this post, I wanted to keep it brief and useful. That brought to mind a VP I worked with years ago. He was sharp, organized and always on top of his game. Well respected, too. His top managers were a lot like him. They were known for being team players, go getters and always said what they thought in a constructive way. It made me think that we all can work on making our points more succinctly. And in a positive way.
Everyone’s attention span is short. Whether you’re writing email, speaking at a meeting or making a presentation, keep that in mind.
Every time I write, I go back and remove at least 10% of the words. And then I do it again. That’s an old tip from Zinsser’s “On Writing Well.” I’m amazed at how wordy I can be. I’ve already cut much more than 10% of what I’ve written here!
It’s easy to rattle on. But I’m committed to keeping this post brief. The VP I mentioned was known for wanting his team to make their points quickly and succinctly. They said to be successful with him, you had to “be brief, be bright, be gone!” He didn’t say those words, they adapted that style because he valued it. I’ve never forgotten it.
If you want those you communicate with to be brief, bright and complete with their messages to you, set the example. When emailing, include the action you want taken in the first lines of your message. Make sure your tone is friendly, not dictatorial. You may even want to indicate ACTION: in your first line or two. You’ll be surprised at how others adapt your style. If you write long, wordy messages, you’ll often get that style in return. If you write clear, concise, appreciative messages, you’ll get them in return as well. You train others how you want to be treated. Try it.
OK, I’m gone. Let me know how it goes!
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Everyone’s attention span is short. Whether you’re writing email, speaking at a meeting or making a presentation, keep that in mind.
Every time I write, I go back and remove at least 10% of the words. And then I do it again. That’s an old tip from Zinsser’s “On Writing Well.” I’m amazed at how wordy I can be. I’ve already cut much more than 10% of what I’ve written here!
It’s easy to rattle on. But I’m committed to keeping this post brief. The VP I mentioned was known for wanting his team to make their points quickly and succinctly. They said to be successful with him, you had to “be brief, be bright, be gone!” He didn’t say those words, they adapted that style because he valued it. I’ve never forgotten it.
If you want those you communicate with to be brief, bright and complete with their messages to you, set the example. When emailing, include the action you want taken in the first lines of your message. Make sure your tone is friendly, not dictatorial. You may even want to indicate ACTION: in your first line or two. You’ll be surprised at how others adapt your style. If you write long, wordy messages, you’ll often get that style in return. If you write clear, concise, appreciative messages, you’ll get them in return as well. You train others how you want to be treated. Try it.
OK, I’m gone. Let me know how it goes!
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