'Commitment and Consistency' or 'How Your Business is Like a Rom-Com'

Hey Everyone, Christopher Peck with Speak Into Action Communications where we train businesses to build successful client experiences through organizational commitment and consistent execution.

To best illustrate the need for commitment and consistency in our business practices, I give you a movie review:

As Covid lingers and social isolation continues, my partner and I have exhausted our usual streaming go-tos and had to resort to more off-the-beaten-path programming. Top of the list seems to be true-crime cult documentaries and teenage rom-coms. The two most recent being the wildly successful Netflix adaptation of Jenny Han's best seller, "To All The Boy's I've Loved Before" and the perhaps lesser well known 2010 film, "Easy A" starring Emma Stone.

Watching each for the first time, I was struck by the early similarities. Both movies begin posing a similar question: What would happen if two characters engaged in a fake romantic relationship to further their own personal agenda?

From there, the movies' similarities pretty much end. "To All the Boy's" gently peels away the layers of this question exploring those personal agendas further, the challenges of keeping up appearances, and the kindling of real romantic feelings within a fake romantic relationship, until ultimately boy and girl fall happily into 16-year old love. It's a fun story and worth the watch.

"Easy A" quickly abandons it's fake relationship premise in an attempt to tackle every sort of conceivable high school--and adult--dilemma:

-Prostitution

-Toxic Christianity

-Inappropriate Student-Teacher Relationships

-Mental Health

-School Bullying

-Being Gay at a public high school in 2010

-Date rape

-Nods to '80's romantic comedies

And I feel any of these themes would be worth exploring, and have been in other successful movies, but where "Easy A" doesn't hold up for me is it's attempt to do too much. It wants something for everyone without fully exploring anything. In other words, it's uncommitted and inconsistent.

Too often I see businesses make the "Easy A" mistake. In a vain effort to build an experience which will attract everyone, they struggle to lean into and fully explore an experience capable of attracting anyone.

They offer too much, are consistently pivoting for a new perceived client, always changing their messaging and ultimately creating distrust in the experience of their business.

All of this could be avoided if they established their experience early on and devoted themselves to the relentless commitment and consistency of that experience.

What's the experience of your business?

In theatre, Directors are challenged to summarize the play they are directing in one sentence. So I pose the same challenge to you: write down in the comments section how you help your ideal client in one sentence.

I'll go first: I provide a creative, collaborative, and intuitive approach to helping business teams execute and perform the experience of their business.

Now your second challenge is to remain committed and consistent to the execution of that experience.

You don't have to help everyone. You won't help everyone. But you do have to provide an experience for your ideal client which sets you apart in your industry. Lean into that, and I guarantee 2021 will be your year.

Thanks for reading everyone, this is Christopher Peck with Speak Into Action Communications; helping businesses perform better, by training better performers.

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Just Keep Creating

Hey everyone, Christopher Peck with Speak Into Action Communications.

A friend of mine and LinkedIn connection, Matt Bishop--CEO of Open City Labs, commented on a video of mine from a couple of weeks ago which sparked a discussion about the benefits and challenges of following your creative spirit. Matt mentioned wanting to write a blog--"The Curse of Creativity"--which I'm eager to read  when it's ready.

But it got me thinking about this idea: The Curse of Creativity. I've always thought of creativity as being solely good, positive, and productive. But Matt mentioned an interesting point. He says, "My challenge is on which creative idea to prioritize and implement."

Fair concern. With so many creative ideas to choose from, how do we pick and prioritize the idea which best suits the growth and needs of our company?

But in my opinion, The Curse of Creativity is not in choosing the wrong creative idea, but rather spending too much time deliberating, brainstorming, and strategizing the correct creative action to implement. Creativity is only a curse when it renders us inactive. When the decision between creative ventures becomes so paralyzing we do nothing, or when we get so stuck in our heads that we don't move forward with our ideas, that's when creativity is a curse.

I challenge you all to just keep creating. Yes, prioritize those ideas which will most immediately move the dial on your business and professional goals. But don't let the fear of choosing the wrong idea keep you from executing any idea. Because the opposite of creativity, the curse of creativity, is doing nothing.

Thanks for reading. This is Christopher Peck with Speak Into Action Communications. Helping businesses perform better, by training better performers.

Just keep creating.

Enjoyed the read?

Every blog is available on my Youtube channel in video format along with other great content. Subscribe today!

Follow Your Hunch In 2021

Hey everyone,

Christopher Peck with Speak Into Action Communications.

American film director Frank Capra once said, "A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something."

Well of course a film director would say that. It's easy to follow the line from bold, creative, and imaginative decision-making to the movies, television shows, and plays that most impacted our lives. That's a no-brainer.

But what about your business?

Many of us spent much of 2020 overcoming challenges and pivoting just to survive. And now with 2020 in our rearview, we can look forward to...more of the same?

Unless...what if we did follow those hunches? What if, like a director, we relentlessly listened to our own creative intuition and developed an experience for our clients so exceptional, it launched us to the forefront of our industry?

It worked for a low budget film about a galaxy far, far away, a diverse, hip-hop inspired re-telling of the building of our democracy, and a little boy with a lightning-bolt scar.

Do you think it could work for you?

The way I see it, we can either continue to play it safe in 2021 and hope we remain relevant or we can take the advice of a film director, listen to our creative voice, and follow our hunches wherever they may lead.

I know which I would rather see.

Thanks for reading, this is Christopher Peck with Speak Into Action Communications--helping businesses perform better by training better performers.

P.S. Who do you want to see follow their hunches in 2021? Tag them in the comments section and together we'll encourage creativity in our businesses and in our lives. Have a great week everyone!

Let's Brag About Our Business

Hi there!

Christopher Peck here with Speak Into Action Communications.

Andy Warhol once said, "Why do people think artists are special? It's just another job."

I have to say I am simultaneously annoyed and inspired by this quote because, on the one hand, artists are special Andy Warhol; sculptors, photographers, actors, directors, drummers, cellists are all pretty darn special. On the other hand, it is a strong reminder the skills we often see as unattainable or special in people are how others see our skills.

And I don't think we spend enough time patting ourselves on the back for demonstrating the patience and commitment to mastering a craft.

So what's your specialty? If you read this post, take a second and comment one thing you do really well  and also one thing you can't do but admire that others can. Let's share some special skills as we start 2021 and be proud of the skills we have cultivated in our businesses and in our lives.

I'll go first.

I help businesses perform better by building teams of better performers--and I do mean in the literal "performative" sense. Because that is what your business is, the performance of your life.

You know what I can't do?

Change my own oil.

Administer acupuncture.

Build a jacket.

Make wine.

But there are people who can do these things and that is special.

So again, share in the comments something you do well and something you can't do. Let's start 2021 with a little bit of bragging.

Thanks for reading, this is Christopher Peck with Speak Into Action Communications--helping your business perform better by training better performers.

Speaking to Authority Figures

by Christopher Peck

For those of you who have been following this blog the past few months, you know this post was supposed to cover “throw-away gestures."  Instead, I had a request from a client to write a blog about speaking to authority figures.  I thought this was a great idea!  It’s a sensitive subject for some, and no big deal for others.  Still, it’s an important component of interpersonal communication. 

So here are Five Tips to Remember when Speaking to Authority Figures

1)      Have a Plan

What are your goals for this encounter?  Do you want to get your boss excited about a new idea?  Are you trying to survive a speeding ticket?  Knowing and preparing to get what you want enables you to be perceived as knowledgeable, confident, and collected.  I heard a story once about a woman, driving near a police station, who was pulled over for a traffic violation.  When the officer asked, “Do you know why I pulled you over,” her response was “to impress your buddies over there.”  The police officer laughed, and the woman was let off without a ticket.  I want to emphasize, I am not advocating for snark in the presence of a police officer.  That being said, this woman—facing an undesirable situation—had a plan.  Her preparedness allowed her to get what she wanted—avoiding a ticket.  This same planning (not the same plan!) should be taken into any situation when speaking with authority figures.  Your preparation and planning adds credibility to your ideas, proposals, when interviewing, or when you’re standing up for a decision.  You are more likely to be appreciated, respected, and ultimately heard.    

2)      Utilize What You Know About the Authority Figure

In the instance of the woman and the police officer, she made a split-second decision probably based on gut instinct.  She rolled the dice and came out on top.  These circumstances are unusual.  More often than not, the less time and information you have in an interpersonal situation, the more difficult it is steer a conversation.  Consider what you know about the person in authority.  Does she enjoy small talk with her employees or avoid all superfluous conversation?  Does she like talking family?  Is she collectively viewed as friendly with subordinates, or is she dismissive?  The more you know about your boss’ demeanor, idiosyncrasies, etc. the better you are able to craft your side of the conversation in a way that resonates.  If you have the time, collect the information. 

3)      Acknowledge Your Value in the Conversation

One problem that can arise, when communicating with someone in a position of authority, is our own propensity toward buying into the hierarchical dynamic.  In an effort to maintain what we perceive as the appropriate respect for the authority figure, we consequently dismiss our own value in the conversation.  Resist this overcompensation.  Respect for authority does not translate to the diminution of our role in the discussion.  We still have something important to say, we still have a right to say it, and in ideal situations our presence in the dialogue is also respected.  Don’t feel it is imperative to immediately defer to the authority figure simply because they rank higher in the organization.  If you know what you have to offer is of the utmost value, don’t let that value dissolve out of a misunderstanding of the term “respect”. 

4)      Respect the Opinion of Your Other

With that said, respect the opinion of the authority figure as you hopefully would in any communicative situation.  Your boss likely has a more comprehensive and universal understanding of the inner workings of the company.  If you have presented yourself and your idea confidently, strategically, and respectably, and the authority figure still doesn’t share your enthusiasm, there’s probably something else at play.  Hopefully that something else is a deeper understanding of the organization, leading to a necessary rejection of the idea.  Now, there are authority figures who fail to command respect from their employees.  When dealing with an authority figure you do not respect, you have to approach the conversation similarly.  Few individuals in positions of authority respond well to being brow-beaten by disrespectful employees.  If your idea is dismissed for reasons less than credible, take a few days and reconsider your argument.  Learn more about your other, and surround your idea with language that resonates with the person in authority.  

5)      Control What You Can, Don’t Worry About the Rest

Too often we place our focus on elements of presentation that are entirely out of our control.  “What if she thinks I’m stupid?”  “Why won’t my knees stop trembling?”  “I think my voice sounds awful.”  These are elements that we cannot control.  Focusing on them places us in a position where those things out of our control supersede those elements we can control.  Elements like the preparation that went into our proposal, our breathing, or the tempo of our speech.  As in any presentational situation, focusing on what we can control empowers us as speakers.  If your knee is shaking, focus on the tempo of your breathing.  If you’re worried about the sound of your voice, focus on the placement of your hands.  If you’re concerned your boss thinks your idea is unamusing, focus on the imagination, preparation, and design behind your presentation.  Removing focus from the uncontrollable, and placing it on those elements you are in complete control of, allows you the opportunity to ground your physical presence, and connect with the passion and creativity that fuels your ideas. 

I hope you enjoyed this week’s blog.  Next week we return to non-verbal communication habits that inhibit the effectiveness of our presentations; namely Throw-Away Gestures!  Have a great week!