Do you want to show up more creatively for your clients and your colleagues, your family, and your friends?
Do you want to default to thinking about opportunity versus focusing just on problems?
Discovering Hope is full of proactive steps you can take right now, to achieve a more positive mindset or to help maintain the positivity you already have
Getting Positive reveals that more optimism is close at hand
Miami Ad School, Parkin ‘Empathy Award’ Winner
The ability to work seemlessly with creatives or for that matter clients, (or consumers) starts with a ‘determination? and/or ability’ to effectively understand others. This ’empathetic’ gene is key for effective creative strategists.Â
A Huge congratulations to Danilo Prado Alves, the newest Parkin ‘Empathy’ Award winner of $1500 (plus $500 coaching).
The award is judged by the students on the course as well as the strategists that teach the course; (Not the school; Not me)
It was also a pleasure for me to sit down with each of the other fifteen students participating in the Bootcamp.
#MiamiAdSchool#ParkinPrizeWinner#Empathy#AccountPlanningBootcamp#LifeSkills#EmotionalIntelligence#DerekParkinAward#Winner#CareerOptimisation#Advertising#SparkinCoaching#Careers#KnowYourAudience#ActionNotWords#ConnectWithPeople#BetterLife #LifeSkills #SparkinSearch#CreativeStrategy#AccountPlanning#Diversity#Meritocracy#Inclusive
Are you a good listener?
Are you a good listener? For communication to even be functional, a number of steps are required. Effective listening is one of them yet an underrated skill as where in the curriculum is it taught yet,
“Every human being needs to listen consistently in order to live fully.” (J. Treasure).
Yet, even if you are an âall-starâ listener, remember what youâre hearing has everything to do with what âyouâ may have already communicated.
So, when you are not hearing the response you want from others, donât make your first act to question them better, take responsibility and perhaps listen with the context in mind and with greater focus.
Effective Listening – But How?
“Every human being needs to listen consistently in order to live fully.” (J. Treasure).
So many individual and macro’ issues exist because of a lack of effective listening..and then understanding. The ability to obtain quality understanding is key for strategic problem solvers yet, effective listening is a skill not often taught. Below a 2011 TedTalk that seems more relevant than ever.
As well as ‘our’ understanding of those we communicate with, effectively ‘hearing’ someone else makes them feel heard, understood and appreciated. Key for us, we are more likely to provide them with a sense of trust and connection with us.
Two of the biggest challenges to effective listening:
We aren’t focused – Impatient and/or time constrained, we want sound bites.
We’re biased – However fair we think we are, our upbringing/culture/life experience etc effects how we listen..
Opposite, our a few videos and links that if nothing else serve as reminders for us how to be fully engaged.
Personal Branding – Why Your Livelihood Depends On It
So you don’t believe in personal branding? Or you’re too busy to focus on it? Or, you believe your work speaks for itself? Or, you believe branding is for people that have their own business? Or you believe the whole concept is a bit narcissistic?
The truth is, it’s always been more important to do a great job versus talking about doing one. The quality of your work, your contribution and the consistency and impact it has, has always been key. So an emphasis on doing great work makes sense.
What’s changed is the time that people with the dollars have to recognise your work and in so doing, you’ve become more vulnerable; You’re doing a great job really is no longer enough. Marketing your expertise/showcasing your value has become an essential part of others ‘recognising’ the problems you solve.
Seeking attention without having a story to tell is narcissistic. Making others aware of a genuine problem solving ability isn’t. And given the ever transational nature of the agency world, we are all effectively becoming free agents if not stand alone businesses, that need to promote the value we can deliver.
That said, I speak with many folks that don’t like promotion, let alone self promotion. What do you think?
- Personal Branding Strategy. A Roadmap for Professionals.
- Does Personal Branding Matter?
- How to Build Your Personal Brand.
- Ten Tips For Building a Strong Personal Brand
- Personal Versus Corporate Branding. Is it Me or We?
- Six Easy Ways to Build a Personal Brand
- Personal Branding Is Not What You Think It Is
- Seven Personal Brand Trends in 2018
GDPR Policy Update
SPARKIN is committed to protecting and safeguarding your personal data. As part of this commitment, we’re updating our privacy policy to meet the standards set by European Data Protection law. We confirm that we have and will continue not to share your email with any third party without explicit agreement from you.
Sincerely,
Stuart
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
