a Twitter-friendly headline

My favorite communication technique is what I call the Twitter-friendly headline. Whenever you launch a new product or service, clearly summarize it in one short sentence, preferably under 140 characters so it’s easily tweeted. Apple executives do this for every product announcement. The new iOS 7 was no exception. Twice in the presentation Tim Cook said, “iOS 7 is the biggest change to iOS since the iPhone.” Now take a look at a few tweets from popular media brands:

     @Mashable: Apple unveils iOS 7, ‘biggest change since the original iPhone.’

     @HuffPostTech: A look at iOS 7, the biggest change to iOS since the introduction of the iPhone.

     @USATODAY: Tim Cook calls iOS7 the biggest change to iOS since the introduction of the iPhone.

The Twitter headline works every time. Create one.

Carmine Gallo

“10 Presentation Techniques You Can (And Should) Copy From Apple's WWDC Keynote.” Forbes. 6/11/2013

stick to the 10-minute rule

University of Washington researcher, John Medina... once told me that no matter how engaging you are, your audience will begin to tune out of your conversation after about 10 minutes. That doesn’t mean you can’t reign them back in, but if you drone on and on you will most likely lose their attention.

Apple does a nice job of building in “soft breaks” to maintain the attention of the audience. [Tim] Cook didn’t speak for much more than ten minutes at a time. He would break up his slides with another speaker or a video. All the Apple speakers stuck to the rule. During his introduction of the new operating system, OS X Mavericks, Federighi included two demonstrations, both lasting under 10 minutes and both about 10 minutes apart. Although Federighi held the stage for more than 10 minutes, he provided soft breaks and kept the flow moving nicely: Slides-demo-slides-demo-slides.

Carmine Gallo

“10 Presentation Techniques You Can (And Should) Copy From Apple's WWDC Keynote.” Forbes. 6/11/2013

stick to one theme per slide

The designers behind Apple’s presentation slides once told me they stick to one theme per slide. Don’t try to cram too much content—too many ideas—on one slide. That goes for statistics, too. For example, think about how many slides you would create if you delivered the following idea: “The developer program is incredibly vibrant. We have over six million registered developers. Demand for this show has never been greater. We sold out in just over a minute [71 seconds].” Most people would put the two statistics, 6 million and 71 seconds, on one slide. Apple CEO, Tim Cook, had two slides. The first one simply read: 6 million. The second slide read: 71 seconds. The second slide also had the words “Sold Out” in red (see below). If a statistic is important enough for you to deliver and you want your audience to recall the data point, then it deserves its own slide.

Carmine Gallo

“10 Presentation Techniques You Can (And Should) Copy From Apple's WWDC Keynote.” Forbes. 6/11/2013

one-on-one

Several years ago my wife, Margie, was working with a fast-food chain and learned its turnover rate was substantially lower than the national average. She asked the manager what he was doing to keep the rate so low. At first, he said he didn’t think he was doing anything special, but further discussion revealed the answer: This manager made sure to take at least 10 minutes every week to talk to each employee. These conversations weren’t necessarily about job performance; they were just a conversation to check in with each employee to see how things were going.

After learning this, Margie talked to some of the staff. When she asked why they stayed, they all mentioned their manager and said they liked working for someone who cared about them... He made time for them, which in turn made them feel they were a respected part of the team.

Margie was so enthusiastic about this concept that she shared it with our leadership team and went on to develop a “one-on-one meetings” process. This process requires managers to meet one-on-one with each of their direct reports for 15 to 30 minutes at least every two weeks. These meetings are not to talk about performance or report on progress — they are meant to enhance the relationship between the manager and the employee.

The leader schedules the meeting, but the employee sets the agenda. It’s a chance to talk about anything: goals, share personal information, learn more about the company or ask for help to solve a problem. These kinds of conversations allow managers and employees to get to know each other as human beings.

We’ve found that when employees are not only allowed but also encouraged to talk with managers about their everyday lives — the good and the bad — relationships flourish and reach a new level of trust. Trusted working relationships improve performance at all levels.

As a leader, you might think you don’t have time to add more meetings, but you can’t afford not to take time for your people. If you have 10 direct reports and can’t find an additional few hours to mentor and develop them, leadership might not be the right role for you. One-on-one meetings are a significant way for leaders to demonstrate they care. Time in team meetings doesn’t count. Only one-on-one interactions deepen relationships, create loyalty and build partnerships.

Spending dedicated time lets employees know their work is important and that they are valued members of the team. These conversations are the foundation for strong, productive relationships that align people with each other and with the work of the organization in a satisfying, meaningful way. 

Ken Blanchard

"We Need to Talk." Chief Learning Officer. March 2014

getting lunch... smart office politics

Eating lunch at your desk every day may save you some time, but it might also limit your career success.

Executive coach Beth Weissenberger, cofounder of the Handel Group, says that getting lunch or a coffee with a coworker, especially one you don’t know very well, is not only a pleasant way to spend your break, but it’s smart office politics....

Think of it as the process of building relationships within your company — not through the use of deceit or manipulation, but by making connections.

“When you’re politicking in the office, you’re creating your reputation,” Weissenberger says. ”You’re handling your own PR.” 

And one of the easiest ways to do this is dedicating a half hour or so of your day to getting to know a coworker over a sandwich...

She recommends building relationships with people both above and below you in your company. By connecting with your superiors, Weissenberger says, you’re gaining allies who may vouch for you when a promotion opportunity comes up, and by connecting with those below you, you’re establishing yourself as a leader.

Richard Feloni

"Here's Why You Should Stop Eating Lunch At Your Desk Every Day." Business Insider. 12/10/2014