And Futhermore....
I have been fortunate to attend some wonderful conferences throughout my career.
Conferences, workshops, meetings, summits, classes, courses, showcases, forums, round table discussions, speaker series, presentations, seminars, webinars... Many different names for opportunities for professional development, networking and a little mind expansion.
The majority of these events have been hugely beneficial and I count myself extremely fortunate for the opportunity to attend.
Some of these events have had enormous impact on my life and my thinking. Bigger than what I received from many of my college courses!
But some of these events have been colossal wastes of time.
Enter the Franklin Covey 2-day class I attended about a year ago.
I had never been to a Franklin Covey sponsored workshop before but I certainly had heard a lot about them. I was excited to participate! Let's just say this might have been one of those times in life when expectation and reality didn't exactly hook up. However, after two days, I came away with one of my prized professional possessions...a possession that will be with me somewhere in my office no matter where that office might be for the rest of time...my Talking Stick.
After two days, I left the workshop with The Talking Stick and I had finally learned that it was what had been the missing from my managerial arsenal for all these years.
The wording on the bottom of The Talking Stick sums it up best:
So THAT'S they key to successful professional communication....The Talking Stick! As long as I'm holding The Talking Stick I can speak and argue my case until the other party comes around to my way of thinking. At last, a way to hold an entire meeting captive for as long as I want! If I have The Talking Stick I get to speak until I'm understood. For as long as it takes! I mean, who can argue with me as long as I'm holding The Talking Stick? Pure genius!
Oh, and did I mention that attending this class where I received this bit of communications gold cost $250 smackaroos? Yep...I'll let that soak in for a minute...The Talking Stick was mine for a mere $250. I know, I know....
Totally worth it.
Conferences, workshops, meetings, summits, classes, courses, showcases, forums, round table discussions, speaker series, presentations, seminars, webinars... Many different names for opportunities for professional development, networking and a little mind expansion.
The majority of these events have been hugely beneficial and I count myself extremely fortunate for the opportunity to attend.
Some of these events have had enormous impact on my life and my thinking. Bigger than what I received from many of my college courses!
But some of these events have been colossal wastes of time.
Enter the Franklin Covey 2-day class I attended about a year ago.
I had never been to a Franklin Covey sponsored workshop before but I certainly had heard a lot about them. I was excited to participate! Let's just say this might have been one of those times in life when expectation and reality didn't exactly hook up. However, after two days, I came away with one of my prized professional possessions...a possession that will be with me somewhere in my office no matter where that office might be for the rest of time...my Talking Stick.
After two days, I left the workshop with The Talking Stick and I had finally learned that it was what had been the missing from my managerial arsenal for all these years.
The wording on the bottom of The Talking Stick sums it up best:
HHow to use the Talking Stick: Only the person holding the talking stick is allowed to speak. Once that person feels understood, he or she passes the talking stick to the next person. Caution: Use of this Talking Stick may result in amazing, synergistic results!
So THAT'S they key to successful professional communication....The Talking Stick! As long as I'm holding The Talking Stick I can speak and argue my case until the other party comes around to my way of thinking. At last, a way to hold an entire meeting captive for as long as I want! If I have The Talking Stick I get to speak until I'm understood. For as long as it takes! I mean, who can argue with me as long as I'm holding The Talking Stick? Pure genius!
Oh, and did I mention that attending this class where I received this bit of communications gold cost $250 smackaroos? Yep...I'll let that soak in for a minute...The Talking Stick was mine for a mere $250. I know, I know....
Totally worth it.
posted by Lori Holliday Culver @ 8/17/2010
2 Comments:
At 8/23/2010 ,
Anonymous said...
I too took a Franklin Covey course and found it a HUGE waste of my already tightly scheduled life. I know how to use a calendar. That is how I am able to maintain the crazy over scheduled life I live. I call it a calendar not an agenda. An agenda is something you use in a meeting. A calendar is something you use in life. I don't need to put hopes and dreams in my calendar, I have a journal for that. I didn't need to spend two days to hear my calendar, which I refuse to write hopes and dreams in, wasn't efficient enough because it was only a calendar.
And as for the talking stick...hold people hostage until they believe what you are saying, there are some democratic principals at work.
Whew, sorry I got off on a tangent there, just to say I couldn't agree more with your observation.
~Mickie
At 8/25/2010 ,
Beth said...
I love the idea of this talking stick and I think you should mass produce these and also sell them for a mere $250. (Since it's my idea, may I have a free signed stick?)
Just think, me with a talking stick and a captive audience! BRILLIANT!
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