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A
ground-breaking essay with links, pics, and comments along with a new model and
method: the Stress Doc's IM4 Performance-Leadership
Formula-Architecture for Captivating an Audience. MG
IM4 ** Performance-Leadership
™: The Architecture and Artistry for
Captivating an Audience
You
know that exuberant feeling when you don’t just “walk your talk,” but have
actually r/aced it. What conditions allow this to happen? Basically, I call it IM4 **: The Performance Formula-Architecture for
Captivating an Audience: Imaginative Mind x Informative Message x
Inspiring Messenger x Interactive Medium. Maybe I’ve stumbled on a new “Triple ‘A’” – Architecture, Artistry & Audience. Please be patient. I’m the founder of a new AA group: Acronyms
Anonymous! Anyway, last week, Wed.
April 12th, (fittingly, my birthday), IM4 was in play at a lunchtime keynote for
the Virginia Beach-Hampton Roads SHRM Chapter – "Keys to Captivating an
Audience."
FYI, here’s a link with
lively event pics and comments:
Let me
identify the Four IMs and provide brief illustrations of the evolutionary tools
and techniques that evoked unsolicited enthusiastic response from participants:
April 12th Testimonials
Mark Gorkin helping us all be better
communicators and facilitators at this month's HRSHRM chapter meeting...AND he
rapped for us!
Karis T, SPHR, SHRM-SCP (the photographer and original post person)
~~~~~~~~~
So good to see you again
yesterday. You're an absolute delight to listen to and an inspiration for those
of us that may be introverted that there is hope to come out of our shell.
K, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~
Great presentation!!! I
was motivated the moment I entered the door. I walked out very energized!!
Tay Lane, PHR
Tay Lane, PHR
~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for such a
great presentation on Wednesday. Also, I am hoping we can connect over
the phone. I am doing some presentations and I want to start
incorporating some of your great ideas!!! Thank you again, Susan Barr,
SPHR, SHRM-SCP
~~~~~~~~~
Great presentation
today. Love that it was so unexpected!
Claudine Baggett, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP; (wonder what she was expecting)
~~~~~~~~~
Claudine Baggett, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP; (wonder what she was expecting)
~~~~~~~~~
Definitely engaging!
Michelle Hurst, PHR,
SHRM-CP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The IM4 Performance
Formula-Architecture:
Imaginative
Mind x Informative Message x Inspiring Messenger x Interactive Medium
A.
Imaginative Mind
The
initial IM needs to kick in way before you go on stage. Surely, imagination and improvisation are
vital tools once in performance mode.
But the foundation or launching pad for high-impact presentational
performance is “imaginative preparation.”
Go beyond the logical sequencing of Power Point material and predictable
rehearsal. (Though I have seen a lively
presentation that was all cartoon-like slides poking fun of all the “stress
carriers” in the legal profession.)
Generate a motivational mix of ideas and interaction. Pair your concise concepts with “Get FIT” –
the Stress Doc’s acronym for FUN-Interactive-Thought-provoking
– small group exercises. (Examples to follow.) Begin to think like an “Orchestra
Leader”: help individuals and the collective bring out their best music. At the same time, be sufficiently prepared so
you can momentarily go “off message” and spontaneously engage in a “jazz riff”
with your audience. And you’ll still
have time for a crowd-cheering solo.
(For me, my solo hits a high note when I suddenly inform the group of my
secret identity: “I’m pioneering the
field of psychologically humorous rap music and, as a therapist, calling it, of
course, Shrink Rap ™ Productions! I also
break out the Blues Brother hat, sunglasses, and black tambourine regalia.
Not
surprisingly, one participant wasn’t sure she was ready to break out in a rap
(even if it’s an “Aristocratic Rap”) at her next company meeting. You can still develop mind-grabbing
techniques, e.g., coming out in costume, or having a “Forms Funeral” to enable
employees to deal with angst around computer systems changes, the loss of
familiar procedures and, in general, an uncertain future.
Finally,
the practical application of imagination reminds me that if you can pair a hard
to pin down concept – such, as loss or adaptational angst – with a visual
metaphor – e.g., “Forms Funeral” – that is, connect the abstract with a
surprising or evocative yet relevant concrete image, people will better
understand the issue they are facing.
And understanding is the first step towards planning and taking action
and, ultimately, having a greater sense of involvement along with control.
B.
Informative Message
One
secret ingredient for adding power and punch to content and delivery is
pithiness and concept-practice partnership.
After the program, one somewhat startled participant asked if I always
presented in this manner, as if it was a radical idea. Actually, it’s been a trial and error model
and method that has evolved and mutated over blood, sweat, and time. I either provide: a) potent conceptual bullet points for five minutes
(seven at the most) and then move the group into a team exercise that illuminates
the streamlined ideas and tools or b) we do the aforementioned “Get FIT”
exercise – this platform becomes the springboard for bringing to life concepts,
skills, and strategies. And again, I
often use time limits to make sure there’s a vital and continuous ebb and flow
between lecture and learning lab. For example, I’ll end an exercise even though
the energy in the room is fairly high.
Just means folks will be even more ready for the next experience.
The
conscious use of two related elements – time
and surprise – also informs my message.
And two paragons of communication – Shakespeare and Twain – would
approve. For the Bard, “Brevity is the
soul of wit.” While for America’s
renowned author, speaker, and humorist, “Wit is the sudden marriage of ideas
which before their union were not perceived to have any relation.” And I’ve come up with two acronyms (actually,
one is a redesign), that, hopefully, illuminate these truths:
1) The
Stress Doc’s New KISS: Keep It Short (or Simple) and Smart! (Much better than the conventional, Keep
It Simple, Stupid!), and
2) The
Memorable MISS: Make It Sassy (or Subtle) and Surprising!
In a
world dominated by smartphones, your first challenge as a
communicator-leader-educator-performer is to get folks to, “Stop, Look, and
Listen.” Message sent cannot equal message received if you don’t have
people’s “Attention.” As one of the
above testimonials indicated: Great presentation!!! I was motivated the moment I entered the
door. A provocative “Short and Smart” Story often
does the trick. After some opening,
light hearted patter, I suddenly said, “Hey, we’re gonna have fun…but it’s not
all fun and games. I can be tough. I recall a Practice Safe Stress program. A State Department manager, challenged me
with, ‘What do you call it if you don’t have any stress?’ My immediate reply: Denial!” Not only did I get folk’s attention…I also
began cultivating an atmosphere of “Anticipation”: “What will this edgy guy do next?” The performance edge: I want
people on the edge of their seats…focused on and taking in my immediate
message and wondering about future movement.
C.
Inspiring Messenger
When
thinking of inspiring figures, certain people and personality traits typically
come to mind. (I’ll let you fill in the
blank; FYI, Abraham Lincoln is at the top of my list.) However, charisma or a magnetic personality
isn’t necessarily the bottom-line characteristic. For me, language and ideas, passion and
courage, engaging and challenging or surpassing the expectations of an audience
are a pretty inspiring mix.
Even a
thought-provoking exercise can take you and an audience down an inspirational
path. For example, in the recent “Keys
to Captivating an Audience” program, I deviated from the norm of the fluff,
ice-breaker exercise. I broke the large
group into small groups and, then, in terms of communication substance and
style, had them differentiate “compelling” from “captivating.” (BTW, the idea for this exercise came during
my “imaginative” preparation phase.) In
addition to subsequently providing dictionary definitions, I also delineated
actual and theoretical polar synonyms that personally illuminate the more
inner/forceful-driven nature of “compelling” and the more outer/fantasy-driven
nature of “captivating”:
Compelling: Push…Force…Focus…Purpose…Head…Soul
Captivating: Pull…Fantasy…Flow…Passion…Heart…Spirit
Compelling
gets your attention; captivating is alluring. And having folks ponder such intellectually
and emotionally charged concepts, not only helps grab immediate attention (“I was motivated the
moment I entered the door”) but may have future appeal (“I am hoping we can
connect over the phone. I am doing some presentations and I want to start
incorporating some of your great ideas!!!”).
In addition, while
concept differentiation is an unconventional opening, it was mostly cognitively
challenging. I don’t want the first
exercise to be perceived as too emotionally risky. Initially, the goal is to engage participants
by having them feel curious yet comfortable rather than vulnerable. And, as mentioned, I don’t do superficial!
Quickly Shifting Presentation Gears
Then, as soon as we
completed the compelling-captivating exercise, I suddenly did a 180. Seemingly out of the blue, though, in truth,
premeditated, I asked the group, “What do you think of this guy up here, even
after just 5-10 minutes?” I also
encouraged them to share “pros and cons” – e.g., whether they see me as being
“serious, silly, or self-centered.”
Most of the comments,
alas, were positive – confident,
entertaining, passionate, great energy, etc. I say alas, because a great way of beginning
to build trust and, ultimately, inspire is for people to see that you can
calmly and coolly handle their criticism.
(Years ago, I recall a workshop participant likening me to Clint
Eastwood 😉.) So, not able to get the external gibes, I
poked some good-natured fun at myself.
First, instinctively, in an exaggerated, non-verbal manner, I kept
encouraging all the positives: “Hey, I
can listen to this all day…” But then
added a familiar punchline, “You know the old expression: Vanity
thy name is Gorkin!”
Actually, from calm and
cool to being vital and vain, and all emotional points in between, able to
accept and authentically express the myriad parts of oneself – the strong and
the vulnerable, the serious and the quirky, to reveal both the cave and
stage personae – this is what makes people exclaim, “Wow, you’ve got great
energy.” And, of course, they are really
asking, “How do I get some of that?” (Or
as an above testify wrote: "You're
an absolute delight to listen to and an inspiration for those of us that may be
introverted that there is hope to come out of our shell.")
Inspiring Factors
As a close to this
section, let’s review some of the factors that may have helped folks begin to
see me as inspiring:
1. Language and Ideas. Not only do I try to make words come alive
and paint pictures, but I’m encouraging people to reflect upon or think anew
about both common and uncommon terms and ideas.
Recall Twain’s notion of “wit”: the sudden marriage of seemingly disparate
ideas…that may well reveal a greater, perhaps inspiring, truth. Again, the
same gentleman that noted the frequent, yin-yang weave of concepts and
exercises, also appreciated my very purposeful use of words.
2. Courageous. Courage is not just performing feats of
daring under critical or life-threatening conditions. In my mind, it also means acknowledging and
sometimes revealing your warts and weaknesses – sometimes by choice, sometimes
involuntarily – whether in an intimate relationship or in a larger
social-performance arena. (I just had a
semi-traumatic flashback to the performance anxiety in my early days of Cable
TV.) And it’s also the courage to invite
criticism…enough said. But wait…I
believe being audacious involves another character trait: Being
your fullest self with being full of yourself!
Amen and women, to that!
3. Being Slightly
Outrageous. When someone commented on
my unorthodox or “out there” style, my immediate counter: Nobody’s
paying me…I can say whatever I want!
And then gave a “not really” smile while shaking my head ever so
slightly. At minimum, the willingness to speak the unspeakable is often
courageous and may be “out-rage-ous.”
4. Self-Effacing Humor. People often admire “the
comfortable in one’s own skin” quality of individuals who can poke gentle fun
at themselves. As I once penned: People
are less defensive and more open to a serious message that’s gift-wrapped with
humor. Getting people to laugh with
you, often helps win them over to your side or cause.
5. Surprising. Surprising is often at the heart of each of
the four preceding factors. And with
this inspiring foundation, there’s not too big a gap from having folks
wondering what next you will do to having
them see you with a sense of wonder!
Remember, imaginatively playing with serious or substantive content,
often makes surprising a springboard to inspiring!
And, once again, I
shifted the focus, hopefully building a bridge to the fourth IM. As acclaimed author and essayist, Adam
Gopnik, has observed: Repetition is the law of nature, but
variation is the rule of life.
D. Interactive Medium
As already noted, having
a conceptual discussion introduce a related and illuminating small group
exercise generates new sharing and learning flow. Returning to the “great
energy” observation in our previous discussion, now the question was, “When do
you have your best energy?” (Or second
best, this is a PG-rated program 😉).” I also asked them to “discuss barriers and
bridges to head and heart flow.” So, we
are expanding the inspirational field:
encouraging participants to acknowledge when they are at least
passionate, if not inspiring. Also,
motivating them to acknowledge, if not begin to confront, some of those
barriers to less censored and more authentic expression. (Actually, the final exercise, brings this
last point to life: “Share an
Embarrassing Moment.” I also call it the
“Confronting Your Intimate FOE” Exercise:
From Fear of Exposure to the Fun
of Embarrassment. Based on the
energy and laughter in the room, admittedly after the initial awkward silence,
the exercise truly walks its talk!)
Interactive exercises, in
addition to creating that conceptual-practical ebb and flow along with
facilitating conditions for surprise, encourage all manner and degrees of
sharing, self-revelation, and psycho-social engagement. Let me list five specific features and benefits of creating subgroups of
collaboration, for transforming a presentation into a sharing-learning lab and
participatory-performance arena:
1. More Active
Audience Involvement. Participants become integral players in the
show. First, as a presenter, talking less often helps your messaging take
on a greater sense of importance, i.e., the “E. F. Hutton” effect. But
most important, exercises allow for tapping into the collective experience and
knowledge – folly and wisdom – in the room. And having the small groups
report back their discussions to the large group helps all feel they are
journeying in a diverse yet still common boat. Naturally, the boat may
have some holes, and sometimes takes on water. Also, the exercises hopefully
become increasingly challenging seas. Still it’s our boat and, by being active players,
most are more committed to making this boat – from team to overall presentation
– work.
2. Challenging the
“Self”-less Team. While collaboration is a
hallmark of this interactive-team medium, it does not erase individual
impact. I’ve always been vaguely
uncomfortable with the wall poster axiom, “There’s No ‘I’ in Team.” Forget diversity; no different points of
view? Eventually, I decided that while
there may, in fact, be no ‘I’ in the spelling of team …There Are Two “I”s in Winning…and these “I”s can “C”: Winning
teams blend Individual Creativity and
Interactive Community! And the benefits are mutual: creative individuals often challenge a group
to move beyond its comfort zone, providing a vision that may open hearts and
minds. And now there’s the possibility
for new action. In return, the
collective pulls the creator back from the overly self-centered ledge, while
also challenging this unconventional thinker to make her ideas and vision more
accessible to and workable for others.
3. Evolve Openness and
Trust. Exercises are purposefully orchestrated for
head-heart difficulty and participant vulnerability. Initially, all should be able to venture a
share without the fear of revealing too much and feeling exposed. This strategic touch progressively builds
intimacy and trust between you and the audience and, most importantly, among
team members and the group as a whole.
Of course, it’s not all scripted.
How a group handles conflict can make or break the team experience. Also, as a leader, I may spontaneously use an
exercise out of sequence based on a reading of the emotional energy, or lack
thereof, in the room. (The exercise
debrief may need to account for this deviation by encouraging more audience questions
and ventilation.)
4. From Intimacy to
Inspiration. The group exchange of
histories, viewpoints, and personalities, the sharing of flaws and foibles,
vulnerabilities and idiosyncrasies, help many individuals recognize they are
not weird or alone. (Okay, maybe still a
little weird.) Listening to others
stories begins to facilitate a connection based on essence not surface. Stories
become mirrors for more candid self-reflection and subsequent disclosure. In fact, the ability to tell a meaningful and
motivational, compelling and/or captivating story helps an individual begin a
process of metamorphosis: from unknown to distinct group member, from
intimate peer to inspiring role model.
5. Multifaceted Synergy. Finally, a playful and problem-solving medium,
that is, both high task and human touch, is a powerful platform not just
for engagement, nor simply for sharing ideas and emotions. Small group interaction is the medium par
excellence for generating synergy: a) where the rich and unpredictable
interaction of the individual parts, that is, distinct individuals plus the
complex and coordinated communication among these parts, creates a generative
whole; now 2 + 2 = 5. And perhaps the
biggest magical occurrence is when these same parts creatively evolve into productive partners!
Closing Summary
An ambitious model and
method has been presented: IM4 Performance-Leadership: The Architecture and Artistry for Captivating
an Audience. As has been outlined, the four dynamic,
multiplicative components of IM4 Performance-Leadership:
Imaginative Mind: preparation linking new and surprising
components and relationships
Informative Message: the rich yet concise interplay of concept,
skill, and interaction-application
Inspiring Messenger: a real and risk-taking individual bringing his
or her full self to the arena
Interactive Medium: a sharing-learning lab and
participatory-performance platform inviting synergy
Performance-learning
formula-architecture has reflected “experimental innovation”: trial and error (at times a little terror),
along with sometimes more, sometimes less tinkering, over the course of four
decades. (In hindsight, I wish I’d done more experimenting and adapting.) Nonetheless, this initial, trail-blazing
exposition will provide a pathway for and expedite the learning process of kindred, IM4
Performance-Learning spirits!
Mark Gorkin, MSW, LICSW, "The Stress Doc" ™, a nationally acclaimed speaker, writer, and
"Psychohumorist" ™, is a founding partner and Stress Resilience and
Trauma Debriefing Consultant for the Nepali Diaspora Behavioral Health &
Wellness Initiative. Current Leadership Coach/Training Consultant for the
international Embry-Riddle Aeronautics University at the Daytona, FL
headquarters. A former Stress and Violence Prevention Consultant for the US
Postal Service, he has led numerous Pre-Deployment Stress Resilience-Humor-Team
Building Retreats for the US Army. Presently Mark does Critical Incident
Debriefing for organizational/corporate clients of Business Health Services.
The Doc is the author of Practice Safe Stress, The Four Faces of Anger, and
Preserving Human Touch in a High-Tech World. Mark’s award-winning, USA Today
Online "HotSite" – www.stressdoc.com – was called a "workplace
resource" by National Public Radio (NPR). For more info, email: stressdoc@aol.com.
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