1. Communicating for Success Values and Branding
Contra Costa Leadership Academy
Feb 15, 2018
Dr. Frank Benest
(650)
Eileen Beaudry
(831)

2. Overview Understanding your life story A crucible experience
Values + Branding
Communication for success—
premises & questions
Exercise—Framing a controversial issue
Story-telling—why, key elements, story structure

3. Overview (con’t)
Exercise—Enhancing your technical presentation with personal experience
Tips for improving your story-telling
Coaching element
Feedback on team project outlines
Team meetings

4. Three Reactors for Today
What resonated
with me?

5. Rosy’s Story
What were the values & lessons that Frank learned from Rosy’s story?

6. Understanding Your Life Story
Leaders are self-reflective & understand who they are
Who has been an influential person or what has been an experience that has shaped you in a positive way?
What are the “gifts” that you give away as a leader?

7. Day Workers in Brea

8. Day Workers in Brea Redeveloping downtown was #1 priority
Day workers congregating in downtown
Council wanted to use police enforcement
Organized diverse staff team
Proposed Job Center
Reactions?

9. Day Workers in Brea
Initiated series of conversations with stakeholders
Identified issues & concerns & addressed them
Framed issue differently for different groups
Built support
Frank presented proposal to
Council; Pilot Job Center was
approved on 3-2 vote

10. Frank’s Mini-Crucible
Why did Frank persevere?
What did Frank & team do well?
What did Frank & team do not so well?

11. “My Mini-Crucible”
What has been a mini-crucible in my personal or professional life?
What did I do?
What did I learn?

12. Self-Reflection
“People can help you but leadership is one of those great journeys
into your own soul.”
Jeff Immelt, CEO, GE

13. Values Clarification Support in Crucible Values define our
Leadership Presence
Shift us into ECO mindset

14. Support in the Crucible

15. Kristi Hedges – Power of Presence
Kristi’s Story
What is Presence?
Intentional
Individual
Inspirational
Small town, West Virginia, 1970’s, blue-collar roots
Clear lines between social classes – didn’t mix socially
Pressure to observe your station in life – Who does he think he is?
No malice – just the way it was
Saw that people felt intimidated
Grandmother, 98 pounds - yet she had tremendous stature
She was always impeccably dressed, suit and heels most days
She spoke to everyone, rich or poor, with confidence and dignity
Powerful FORCE in Kristi’s life, she modeled that, and as result, Kristi was instilled in me self-worth, How to talk to anyone as an equal.
As she got put into college prep classes with kids from professional class
At Virginia Tech, outstanding senior for Arts and Sciences
Full Scholarship to Purdue, Masters in Power of Communications
Politics helping candidates getting elected
Technology PR firm – millions of dollars, won awards
After 10 years Leadership Coach
PRESENCE Is both her passion and her profession

16. Values = Intentional Presence
Our Values become Our Presence
INTENTIONAL PRESENCE
Understanding how you want to be perceived
communicating in a manner
so that you are perceived as such
General Intention
I want to be innovative, trustworthy and dependable
I value hard work, openness, fairness
Situational Intentions
Supportive and Firm
Inspiring and clarify expectations
Engaged and competent

17. Values = Intentional Presence
“Presence is a neon sign announcing who people are.”
“Trust that intentions change your presence. I see it everyday. You will, too.”
Kristi Hedges

18. Core Personal Values
Identify your core personal values, such as family, health, etc. List as many as you wish.

19. Values = Intentional Presence
Which 5-7 values form your leadership presence? (shape, describe, express, etc.)

20. Values = Intentional Presence
“Presence is a neon sign announcing who people are.”
“Trust that intentions change your presence. I see it everyday. You will, too.”
Kristi Hedges

21. Write 1-2 sentences, to summarize.
Your Leadership Intention
Write 1-2 sentences, to summarize.

22. Leadership Presence Brand
Can you shorten your 1-2 sentences
into a pithy brand statement?

23. Leadership Presence Brand
Examples:
The ethical and shared use of power
Effective organizational change
Work with others, with empathy and love, to effect positive change
Cultivating community resilience, through grounded optimism, engagement and compromise

24. Kristi Hedges – Power of Presence
Kristi’s Story
Presence
Individual
Situational
Small town, West Virginia, 1970’s, blue-collar roots
Clear lines between social classes – didn’t mix socially
Pressure to observe your station in life – Who does he think he is?
No malice – just the way it was
Saw that people felt intimidated
Grandmother, 98 pounds - yet she had tremendous stature
She was always impeccably dressed, suit and heels most days
She spoke to everyone, rich or poor, with confidence and dignity
Powerful FORCE in Kristi’s life, she modeled that, and as result, Kristi was instilled in me self-worth, How to talk to anyone as an equal.
As she got put into college prep classes with kids from professional class
At Virginia Tech, outstanding senior for Arts and Sciences
Full Scholarship to Purdue, Masters in Power of Communications
Politics helping candidates getting elected
Technology PR firm – millions of dollars, won awards
After 10 years Leadership Coach
PRESENCE Is both her passion and her profession

25. Situational Intentions
What do you want your audience
to feel about this exchange?
2. What emotion do you need to embody?
Point Six Point Five Point Four
Point One Point Two Point Three

26. Prep for Your Story
Identify topic of a staff or professional presentation
Write down 3 brief bullets of technical info
Think of a relevant personal experience that you can share

27. Communicating for Success
Premises:
Ability to communicate in different ways is key to success as leader
Successful communicators understand their target audiences & their needs
Providing data is necessary
but insufficient

28. Communicating for Success
Premises:
Successful communications is related to engaging others & developing positive relationships
Story-telling is most powerful way to communicate
Effective communication is
well-planned

29. Communicating for Success
Key Questions:
1. Who’s the target audience?
2. Have you first developed rapport
with key members of the target audience?
3. Have you created a state of readiness?
4. What is your goal in the communication?
5. What are the values, goals or concerns of the target audience? How do you find out?

30. Communicating for Success
6. What is the “frame”
given the target audience?
7. Do you refer to the Board’s
priorities, goals, or previous direction?
8. Have you used simple
and appropriate language?

31. Communicating for Success
9. Do you provide data?
10. Have you incorporated compelling story & humanized the issue?
11. Do you acknowledge & respond
to problems or concerns?
12. Have you communicated in
different ways & reiterated the key messages?

32. What’s the Frame?
How do we frame issue of “Job Center for Day Workers” for different groups?
Merchants
Day workers
Police
Faith-based community
City Council
What’s primary frame? What’s secondary frame?

33. Developing Strategic Communications Plan
Complete worksheet as homework assignment
Select a current controversial issue or
one that is upcoming
The issue can be internal or external
Your role is an informal or formal leader
Jot down notes
Bring completed worksheet to next session

34. The Power of Story-Telling

35. Steve Jobs Commencement Speech
What were key messages?
What was Jobs’ “crucible” experience?
How do we critique Jobs as communicator?

36. Good News! Everyone is a story-teller
Story-telling is an acquired skill that can be enhanced by practice & self-critique
It’s fun?!

37. Story-Telling
From ancient times, all communities have used stories to enchant, entertain, instruct, perpetuate core values & preserve wisdom

38. Why Stories? We’re overwhelmed with data Stories are memorable
They often teach a core truth
They help us make sense of the world—
Where we’ve been
What we’ve learned
What we want to be
or create

39. Why Stories? Stories are powerful because they. . .
Provide a clear message
Capture hearts as well as minds
Help create commitment

40. Powerful Stories Personal Relevant to topic
People can relate to protagonist or situation
Involves problem, misstep, misfortune
Audience develops “rooting interest”
Story builds to conclusion
Lessons to be learned
Strong point of view (POV)
Call to action

41. Kurt Vonnegut
“The Shapes of Stories”

42. Story Structure Three Acts Introduction of main character facing
obstacles or challenge
Action
“Happy” conclusion,
triumph, or ending with lesson

43. Creating a First Draft Story
Topic
3 bullet points of technical info
A relevant experience from your life or someone else’s

44. Example Topic: Customer Service 3 technical points
1. Customer service is not just about the technical aspects of delivering the service but also about the human interaction.
2. Customers will tell twice as many friends & colleagues about a poor service experience than good service.
3. Customer service will make or break the organization’s brand.
My experience at Palomar Winery

45. “Your First-Draft Story”
By yourself, draft personal experience or “story”
Go to worksheet “Enhancing Your Technical Presentation By Sharing an Experience”
Start with the conclusion or lesson
Outline a few key points of
experience
Eliminate non-essential “fluff”
In pairs, share the topic,
3 bullet points, & brief story (based on outline) & receive feedback on story

46. Sampling of Stories A few mini-stories Feedback What worked well?
What are suggestions to enhance story?

47. Finding Potential Stories
Pulling stories from your experience
Reflect upon your personal history & identify possible stories
Ask questions about experience & explore experience for possible relevance
Identify conclusions or lessons

48. Finding/Refining Stories
Other sources of stories
Reading
Talking to others
Incorporate a strong POV
Streamline story so it’s “tight” &
leads to conclusions/lessons

49. Extracting Conclusions
Two choices
Presenter makes conclusions
or identifies lessons
Audience critiques experience & suggests lessons
Describe experience in sufficient detail but do not make explicit conclusions or lessons
Presenter can add anything missed

50. Story Prompts Purposes Go to handout for list of prompts
Other prompts?

51. Enhancing Your Story-Telling
Be on look-out for experiences that could become a “story”
Be aware of stories told by
others & critique them
Outline sequence of story
elements but don’t fully write out or memorize;
story must feel natural (“cocktail story” model)

52. Enhancing Your Story-Telling
Practice your stories in comfortable & “safe” environment (try out your material)
De-brief your stories & refine them
Start a “story file”
Use stories at beginnings
of staff meetings

53. Final Tips Show vulnerability (“my worst experience”)
Use gestures or body language as well as voice as story-telling tools
Integrate a prop

54. Follow Up
Incorporate a personal story into your next presentation or announcement
Practice
De-brief experience with
someone

55. Story-Telling Resources
ICMA Coaching Program webinar “Storytelling To Promote Positive Solutions” (Oct 29, 2014)
Go to “Agendas & Archives” at
“How To Tell a Good Story,” Kristi Hedges, forbes.com, Dec 11, 2013
“Using Stories to Persuade,” John
Baldoni, hbr.org, March 24, 2011

56. Other Resources ICMA Coaching Program www. icma.org/coaching Webinars
Frank’s Career Compass columns
“Making Presentations Like a Pro”
“Story-Telling—A Powerful Way to Lead & Communicate”
One-to-one coaching (“CoachConnect”)
New training videos

57. Coaching Element of Academy
What makes it successful?
Your Agencies
Your Coach
You
Each participant is paired with coach
Discussions with coach are confidential
Goals
Enrich overall experience of
participants
Provide career advice & support
Enhance network of participants
Renew & refresh senior managers/coaches
Participants
Schedule sessions with coach
Come prepared
Be open to dialogue & enjoy interaction
Eileen
Orient coaches & participants
Provide resources
Help everyone debrief coaching experience

58. Four Coaching Conversations
Info Interview—before March session
Development Convo--before May session
Third Convo—before July session
Post Academy—Sept./Oct.
Optional
Professional meeting
Additional sessions

59. Informational Interview
Meet with coach by March Academy session
Exchange resumes in advance and develop questions about their career journey
Sample questions?

60. Homework for March16 Do Strategic Communications Plan
Meet with your coach/Info Interview
Take Myers-Briggs Assessment
Continue work on Team Projects

61. My Take-Aways + Reaction Panel
What resonated with me?
What did not resonate with me?
What do I have to add?

62. Team Project Outlines Bring Copies Next Session: The Challenge
WHY topic is important
Key players/SME’s
Key documents
Methodology—how we plan to proceed
Deliverable(s)
How deliverable will be used by Sponsors

63. Team Project Meetings Are deliverables clearly defined?
Is scope focused/manageable?
Who is going to do what?
Have each of us selected a “stretching” role or assignment?
Is work being shared?