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Welcome to Changing People Inside
Dear Karen,
Welcome to the first, new look issue of our 2010 newsletter - I hope you find some useful, interesting and relevant information!
Best wishes for 2010!
Karen |
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When they snooze... you loose!
Are your meetings or conversations sending people to sleep? Are you failing to keep control of hecklers and disruptive or rebellious people!?
Top ten tips for keeping people interested in what you have to say
1 Structure the meeting - people like to feel a sense of order and that a meeting isn't drifting into chaos
2 Use an agenda - send it out in advance and refer to it as you go to keep on track
3 Start and end on time - you will be in a minority if you manage this! If meetings run on endlessly, hold them standing up, or via a telcon which can speed up the process. Avoid holding meetings in the 'graveyard slot' after lunch when people are already half asleep...
4 Put your key messages at the beginning and end of the meeting when interest is highest - and include something unusual or attention grabbing in the middle when interest levels tend to flag....
5 Change the location to create a more interesting environment - if you want people to be creative, meet in an innovative, thought- stimulating environment (eg a Science Museum)
6 Invite an expert speaker to talk on an engaging topic - and ask your people for suggestions as to who and what they would like
7 Remember that 'difficult' people often just want attention and want to be heard - so take time to listen, being careful to 'park' subjects that take up time for more discussion later
8 Use your mouth and ears in the correct proportion - i.e. listen twice as much as you speak
9 If you find that difficult, remember the acronym WAIT - Why Am I Talking?
10 Include a reward or some form of recognition in your meetings - and always end on a high point!
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Goals - who cares?
I am bored with reading about New Year's Resolutions and personal development goals for 2010. Set goals by all means but...
Want to know a secret? Just look for the opportunities, say YES and....Just do it. |
| Recent successes and workshops with a difference... |
Accidents happen
We recently ran a workshop for a global group of safety professionals in the pharma industry. To get their attention on Day 2 we created a Police Accident scene in the training room and warned them that the press were on site waiting to hear how the group planned to take action and deal with the fatalities in 2010. It certainly engaged their brains and caught their attention! (The press reporter was in fact just yours truly!) |
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Analysing your personal brand
Have you ever thought about how you come across to others? Probably most of us wonder from time to time..
But have you ever gone out and actually asked people what they really think?
As Neuro - Linguistic Programming (NLP) states there is no failure, only feedback, I decided I should practice what I preach, I took the plunge and it wasn't as bad as I feared...
Many thanks to those of you who completed the brand analysis for me and gave me some very useful feedback using the 360 Reach online assessment tool. It is simple and quick to use and you can find it at
It might amuse you to read some of my results below and try the survey for yourself...
The top scores in the data I received revealed: |
My top brand attributes
| Self-motivated |
Wise |
| Likable |
Striving |
| Trustworthy |
Socially-conscious |
| Supportive |
Sincere |
| Positive |
Persuasive |
| Enthusiastic |
Outgoing |
| Creative |
Motivating |
| Giving |
Interested |
| Charming |
Ethical |
| Self-assured |
Entrepreneurial |
| Reliable |
Enterprising |
| Organized |
Easygoing |
| Loyal |
Diplomatic |
| Intelligent |
Confident |
| Inspiring |
Collaborative |
| Bright |
Adventurous |
| Assertive |
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| My top brand skills
Communicating (listening, speaking)
Coaching
Training
Facilitating groups
Inspiring others
Public speaking
Counselling
Relating to others/Building relationships
Motivating
Developing ideas
Organizing (content, activities)
Measuring success
Investigating
Creating
Brainstorming |
Greatest strengths:
Builds rapport very quickly with everyone she meets
Articulate, authoritative, approachable,impactful
Networking; building a professional relationship
Calm, caring, thorough approach - belief
Her love of life and people
Her ability to communicate - i.e. listening and speaking
Her dedication and drive, and inspiring others
Sizes up people and situations quickly and accurately
Greatest weaknesses:
Concern for another's needs over her own
Too nice!
She doesn't have enough time for all those who want to see her!
There may have been one or two others, but I will keep you guessing...have to have some secrets...
(Well ok, I admit to an occasional time keeping lapse here or there....;-) |
If you were a type of car what would you be:
The main responses were based on 3 cars:
A yellow Volkswagen beetle - a car of the people, which is energetic, fun and reliable, sassy, happy, fun, friendly, reliable and fast when needed.
Golf GTi - reliable, fast, flexible, brisk, efficient, not run of the mill. This car has such broad appeal and represents the way that Karen can adapt and connect with all ages and different levels/types of people.
Volvo c70 or Xc90 - safe and reliable but with a fun side too, dependable with a bit of style
The rest of you couldn't make up your minds between a Ferrari (yes please!), an Audi TT, a Mercedes, Jaguar, Range Rover, Mini or MX5 - as I've just swapped my car for a Mini Cooper whoever said Mini wins the prize!
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| The survey asked if you were a type of cereal what would you be:
By far the majority of you thought I was...
Muesli!
- Home made muesli. high quality and an interesting blend
- Expensive muesli - because meeting with Karen is not like a sugar rush - much more like healthy eating - the benefit of her input carries on being of benefit long term.
- Posh Dorset or Swiss muesli - full of exciting, different, ingredients and ways to make you healthier.
Porridge or Ready Brek
- Because she keeps you going!
- Good for you but also available in a variety of flavours or you can create your own
- Emotionally nourishing, warm and comforting
Kelloggs featured strongly too:
- Special K - sensible, wholesome, dependable
- Shredded Wheat - because she is good for your heart as a company or as an individual
- Rice Crispies - snap crackle and pop!
- Crunchy Nut Cornflakes - because you would want another bowl!
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The top scores for my Team Role were:
Motivator - inspires others to be their best and successful members of the team.
Care Giver - ensures that all members of the team are happy and cared for.
Facilitator - orchestrates the group, helping it to achieve its goal.
So if you want to know what your brand personality is all about, give it a go - you never know what you could learn!
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Family history research - new members of the family discovered and one tragic loss....
The family research findings were extensive, far reaching and powerful. My suffragette-sympathising great grandmother was shown to be an early Sloane Ranger studying at Chelsea back in 1901!
My Polish grandfather was a concentration camp victim who died as a result of being starved in the camp after being tortured and shot as a resistance spy.
I found that my other grandfather, who was the bigamist, amazingly had a second wife who was potentially still alive and a daughter of my age. I have contacted them and am waiting to hear news.
At a family reunion to share the findings my aunt revealed something the research hadn't proved - that my grandmother had produced another secret wartime offspring who had been adopted - so it seems she was quits with my naughty Grandpa! So an extra Aunt, Uncle and Grandmother resulted from this one piece of research - amazing!
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On a sadder note.
 On a sadder note my cousin's husband Olaf (Oz) Schmid was killed in November last year in Afghanistan on his last day before being due to come home. I can only say what an amazing guy he was and pay tribute to my cousin Christina Schmid for her bravery and dignity in communicating her support for him. We are supporting Help for Heroes http://www.justgiving.com/Karen-Kimberley and look out for fundraising events later in the year.
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Hypnotising women for success
Other workshops we ran in December helped inspire and build self esteem and confidence in women using hypnosis and NLP.
I hypnotised 2 groups of 60 women in the financial industry with fantastic results and feedback. |
| Everyone who attended got a free gift of one of our 2 new Cds - Relax Now and Think Positive and further orders resulted. You can order them online from our shop (click here) to try them for yourself - if you suffer from insomnia I am told they work well - just don't play them in your meetings! |
| Snow Fun!
Finally in case you didn't see it - the UK under a blanket of snow.
Who says remote working isn't important and effective, especially at ?
times like this. I found so many people using social networking to connect I was swamped with messages!
Make contact with me on Twitter, Facebook or Linked In if you want to keep up with more regular news stories as they happen.
And Good luck for 2010!
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