“Good leaders must communicate vision clearly, creatively, and continually. However, the vision doesn't come alive until the leader models it.” John C. Maxwell

Leaders can have great ideas but unless they can create a compelling vision for their people - ideas remain ideas. Leadership is about being about to communicate what that vision is on a consistent basis. You are pointing the way and leading them toward the vision. You must first believe in the vision yourself in order to share it.

Gain Clarity of Your Vision. You cannot share a vision with others unless you clearly understand it yourself. It does not have to be perfect to gain buy-in, people need to see the vision of what you are talking about. If they cannot understand the picture of what you are creating, you will not gain buy-in. What is the vision?

Make Your Vision Compelling by Sharing Stories. Describe your vision in as much detail as possible. The use of stories will create a connection between you and the people you are communicating the vision to. People will learn ‘why’ your vision is so meaningful to you. They will start to visualize how they fit into the story. Otherwise, they feel like they are on the outside looking in. It is like looking through a candy store window and not being able to touch or taste any of it. Keep your message simple but powerful. What stories or experiences can you share that help share that create a compelling reason for making the vision a reality?

Communicate with Enthusiasm. Be positive about your message. If you are not excited about your vision, you cannot expect others to be. Be passionate and enthusiastic about what you are doing. You want people to be engaged because they say “I want to” rather than them say “I have to” attitude. Otherwise, they will not put in their best efforts as they have no vested interest.  People will be drawn to the positive energy you share and will want to learn more. Write out your vision so you can you are describing the vision exactly how you see it and the possibilities. What excites you about the vision?

Communicate a Variety of Ways and Channels. People like to receive information in different ways. They also each interpret messages in different ways. It is best practice to share your vision through a variety of channels. If you communicate the vision randomly, it will get lost in the whirlwind of other daily activities or your message may get diluted.

One of the most popular and possibly overused ways is through email. Not that it is not effective, it may not have the impact when buried in the others 400 emails you have.  You may choose share your vision through one-on-one meetings, town hall meetings, video presentations, or even webinars. It can take from 7-9 contacts with information before they start adopting or moving into action. Overcommunicate your message to ensure it sticks. What are the best ways for you to communicate the vision and reach your people?

Help People See Themselves as Part of the Future and Part of Making an Impact on the Greater Good. Team members and followers have their own vision – the starts with “What is in it for me?” Talk in terms of how “we” are going to make the vision a reality. People want to be a part of something bigger than themselves by knowing they play a key role in making it happen. Collaborate with and engage your people in the process and help them understand their role and responsibility in making the vision become a part of reality. Two-way dialogue is very important. They want to know how what they do will impact the vision and if their work is meaningful or matters. What part does your team member or team play in making the vision come true?

Keep the communicate lines open.

“Good leaders must communicate vision clearly, creatively, and continually. However, the vision doesn't come alive until the leader models it.” John C. Maxwell

Leaders can have great ideas but unless they can create a compelling vision for their people - ideas remain ideas. Leadership is about being about to communicate what that vision is on a consistent basis. You are pointing the way and leading them toward the vision. You must first believe in the vision yourself in order to share it.

Gain Clarity of Your Vision. You cannot share a vision with others unless you clearly understand it yourself. It does not have to be perfect to gain buy-in, people need to see the vision of what you are talking about. If they cannot understand the picture of what you are creating, you will not gain buy-in. What is the vision?

Make Your Vision Compelling by Sharing Stories. Describe your vision in as much detail as possible. The use of stories will create a connection between you and the people you are communicating the vision to. People will learn ‘why’ your vision is so meaningful to you. They will start to visualize how they fit into the story. Otherwise, they feel like they are on the outside looking in. It is like looking through a candy store window and not being able to touch or taste any of it. Keep your message simple but powerful. What stories or experiences can you share that help share that create a compelling reason for making the vision a reality?

Communicate with Enthusiasm. Be positive about your message. If you are not excited about your vision, you cannot expect others to be. Be passionate and enthusiastic about what you are doing. You want people to be engaged because they say “I want to” rather than them say “I have to” attitude. Otherwise, they will not put in their best efforts as they have no vested interest.  People will be drawn to the positive energy you share and will want to learn more. Write out your vision so you can you are describing the vision exactly how you see it and the possibilities. What excites you about the vision?

Communicate a Variety of Ways and Channels. People like to receive information in different ways. They also each interpret messages in different ways. It is best practice to share your vision through a variety of channels. If you communicate the vision randomly, it will get lost in the whirlwind of other daily activities or your message may get diluted.

One of the most popular and possibly overused ways is through email. Not that it is not effective, it may not have the impact when buried in the others 400 emails you have.  You may choose share your vision through one-on-one meetings, town hall meetings, video presentations, or even webinars. It can take from 7-9 contacts with information before they start adopting or moving into action. Overcommunicate your message to ensure it sticks. What are the best ways for you to communicate the vision and reach your people?

Help People See Themselves as Part of the Future and Part of Making an Impact on the Greater Good. Team members and followers have their own vision – the starts with “What is in it for me?” Talk in terms of how “we” are going to make the vision a reality. People want to be a part of something bigger than themselves by knowing they play a key role in making it happen. Collaborate with and engage your people in the process and help them understand their role and responsibility in making the vision become a part of reality. Two-way dialogue is very important. They want to know how what they do will impact the vision and if their work is meaningful or matters. What part does your team member or team play in making the vision come true?

Keep the communicate lines open.

 

Meet Our Guest:

Karen Dorland is owner of Image Connections. Karen is an Image Consultant, a Fashion Feng Shui Facilitator and Reiki Master.

She helps people dress to honour their Spirit, and to attract more of what they want in life, so they can continue their journey with confidence, self-worth, passion, joy and most importantly… self-love.

Karen teaches her clients how to bring their personality and inner joie de vivre to the outside, to be expressed in their appearance.

Your clothing speaks volumes about you…without you saying a word… what messages are your clothes and accessories sending?

However, she says, if you are not bringing balance into your life, stress can show on the outside as lines on your face and low energy. Reiki can assist in connecting the inside and outside, so what you say, look and feel, are congruent.

Karen retired from teaching elementary school, teaching children from J.K. to children with Autism. She is excited to finally embrace being able to bring her healing gifts and wholistic approach of Image Consulting to people on a full-time basis

Look for her online programs, “Set Your GPS to Love,” coming in the fall of 2017 and “Set Your GPS to Fantabulous,…7 Style steps to looking Savvy, Sexy and Stylish, releasing in MARCH 2017.

Follow Karen on Facebook at Image Connections, for her weekly videos full of timely tips.

Sign up for her blog or newsletter at www.imageconnections.ca

 

Meet Our Guest:

Karen Dorland is owner of Image Connections. Karen is an Image Consultant, a Fashion Feng Shui Facilitator and Reiki Master.

She helps people dress to honour their Spirit, and to attract more of what they want in life, so they can continue their journey with confidence, self-worth, passion, joy and most importantly… self-love.

Karen teaches her clients how to bring their personality and inner joie de vivre to the outside, to be expressed in their appearance.

Your clothing speaks volumes about you…without you saying a word… what messages are your clothes and accessories sending?

However, she says, if you are not bringing balance into your life, stress can show on the outside as lines on your face and low energy. Reiki can assist in connecting the inside and outside, so what you say, look and feel, are congruent.

Karen retired from teaching elementary school, teaching children from J.K. to children with Autism. She is excited to finally embrace being able to bring her healing gifts and wholistic approach of Image Consulting to people on a full-time basis

Look for her online programs, “Set Your GPS to Love,” coming in the fall of 2017 and “Set Your GPS to Fantabulous,…7 Style steps to looking Savvy, Sexy and Stylish, releasing in MARCH 2017.

Follow Karen on Facebook at Image Connections, for her weekly videos full of timely tips.

Sign up for her blog or newsletter at www.imageconnections.ca

It can be disheartening when you put in so much effort in only to not get the results that you were hoping for. Country singer, Garth Brooks has a song called Unanswered Prayers. This song reminds me that there are reasons why things do not sometimes turn out the way we want them to. He talks about how some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers. You can substitute the Universe or whatever you believe in. Sometimes we do not always understand them – we have to trust that there is something better around the corner. Just because something you were hoping for like the big deal or the promotion did not become a reality does not mean you will not get a big deal or get a promotion or get to the next level. It means that this door or this opportunity was not meant for you. You cannot force things to happen.

When disappointments or obstacles occur, you have a choice to react or to respond. Instead of staying in the space of negativity, reframe and shift your thinking. Think about a time when no matter what your efforts were, you did not get the results you wanted. Did you think of something? How long did you dwell on the thought? Are you still holding onto it…I hope not?  You need to realize by taking action you are demonstrating a quality that few people are willing to do – take action. It takes courage to take action towards your goal or dream. The actions you take are getting you set up for success.

It is easy to be devastated and stay in the space of negativity rather than STOPPING your thoughts and saying. “Hey there, I need to ask questions so I can learn from this so I can improve or take different actions.” You can spend your time wallowing or you can make a renewed commitment to taking a new action to get a different result. Do you need to take a course, interview someone, or experiment with the instructions?

Start taking action! Actions create momentum, which carry you forward to the next action. Even if you fail 2-3 times, it can take one breakthrough to propel you further than you would have got should you have stopped putting in the effort. People often give up when they are so close to achievement because they get caught up in self-doubt or worry about it never working out. They think about the embarrassment. What will other people think? Again, I want to stress you are further ahead than most people, as most people are not willing to take the risk need to get the results they need to.

There may also be times that you may not have taken action because of your need for approval or acceptance. Someone may have said something to you to discourage you based on their own beliefs and willingness to take risks. You didn’t do anything because you wanted everyone to like you. You need to have trust and faith in your capability and ability to make things become a reality. Give yourself credit for how far you have come so far. You are not the same person you were a year ago. There are more good things in your future they are not reserved for the affluent.

Don’t get side-tracked by the “comparison trap” and discounting the knowledge, skills, and abilities you have. Instead of being jealous, appreciate and recognize the person you are comparing yourself to. Jealousy is an unproductive emotion. What can you learn about this person’s success that you may be able to emulate in your own way? Take a moment or two to acknowledge and accept yourself for what you offer. Don’t fall into a negative spiral of emotion for everything in life is in a temporary state whether it is positive or negative. You always have a choice of what you will choose and if it doesn’t work out as planned…learn and grow from it and put it into perspective – something is better around the corner. Something better suited, at the right time,

It can be disheartening when you put in so much effort in only to not get the results that you were hoping for. Country singer, Garth Brooks has a song called Unanswered Prayers. This song reminds me that there are reasons why things do not sometimes turn out the way we want them to. He talks about how some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers. You can substitute the Universe or whatever you believe in. Sometimes we do not always understand them – we have to trust that there is something better around the corner. Just because something you were hoping for like the big deal or the promotion did not become a reality does not mean you will not get a big deal or get a promotion or get to the next level. It means that this door or this opportunity was not meant for you. You cannot force things to happen.

When disappointments or obstacles occur, you have a choice to react or to respond. Instead of staying in the space of negativity, reframe and shift your thinking. Think about a time when no matter what your efforts were, you did not get the results you wanted. Did you think of something? How long did you dwell on the thought? Are you still holding onto it…I hope not?  You need to realize by taking action you are demonstrating a quality that few people are willing to do – take action. It takes courage to take action towards your goal or dream. The actions you take are getting you set up for success.

It is easy to be devastated and stay in the space of negativity rather than STOPPING your thoughts and saying. “Hey there, I need to ask questions so I can learn from this so I can improve or take different actions.” You can spend your time wallowing or you can make a renewed commitment to taking a new action to get a different result. Do you need to take a course, interview someone, or experiment with the instructions?

Start taking action! Actions create momentum, which carry you forward to the next action. Even if you fail 2-3 times, it can take one breakthrough to propel you further than you would have got should you have stopped putting in the effort. People often give up when they are so close to achievement because they get caught up in self-doubt or worry about it never working out. They think about the embarrassment. What will other people think? Again, I want to stress you are further ahead than most people, as most people are not willing to take the risk need to get the results they need to.

There may also be times that you may not have taken action because of your need for approval or acceptance. Someone may have said something to you to discourage you based on their own beliefs and willingness to take risks. You didn’t do anything because you wanted everyone to like you. You need to have trust and faith in your capability and ability to make things become a reality. Give yourself credit for how far you have come so far. You are not the same person you were a year ago. There are more good things in your future they are not reserved for the affluent.

Don’t get side-tracked by the “comparison trap” and discounting the knowledge, skills, and abilities you have. Instead of being jealous, appreciate and recognize the person you are comparing yourself to. Jealousy is an unproductive emotion. What can you learn about this person’s success that you may be able to emulate in your own way? Take a moment or two to acknowledge and accept yourself for what you offer. Don’t fall into a negative spiral of emotion for everything in life is in a temporary state whether it is positive or negative. You always have a choice of what you will choose and if it doesn’t work out as planned…learn and grow from it and put it into perspective – something is better around the corner. Something better suited, at the right time,

I have to admit when I first dived into the entrepreneurial world I did not know much about sales. I thought you make a product and you introduce a service – and you simply share it with the world. I had a few sales here and there. I had a lot to learn and I am continuously learning…it was much different than health care yet there were some similarities. The similarities have to do with how you feel when you feel that you have been taken care of and people really care about you.

“People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care” ― Zig Ziglar

In health, they do care about whether or not you know what you are doing. What stands out the most is if you truly come from a place of caring you are going to want to the best for someone. You will ensure you know what you are doing and that you care about them as a person. The same goes for sales.

It is easy to say, “Look, I just want that product or that service.” What you really want is what the product or service will do for you! It is your job to find out what they need and want and be able to share how they will feel when they get it. During the past several months, I have devoured recommended books in sales from Jeffrey Gitomer’s Sales Bible to Larry Pinci and Phil Glosserman’s Selling the Feeling Series. They have been absolutely powerful game-changers to the way I will approach the sales conversation. I love creating memorable experiences for others and discovering their true need. When I coach business owners and executives, I enjoy helping them step into who they see themselves to be.

Imagine that you had someone help you reach some of the goals you long for. A person who helped you take a look at your situation and get really clear about where you want to go and created a detailed plan in partnership. That would be pretty cool right? Now you would be ready to take action and start getting results. That is what a coach does PLUS hold you accountable for the results you want to achieve.

Too many people focus on this is what it does – great but your customer wants to know what it will do for them. What are the benefits they will reap from having your product or service?  Let’s use the example of having a cleaning company come in once every two weeks. They tell you they will clean your home for a minimum of 3 hours at a certain rate. If the price factor or the time factor is most valuable, it will be important to that person. Find out why hiring your company is important to them. Will it give them more time to spend with their family or allow them to work on a hobby they have been passionate about? If so, address that specific reason. What will it feel like to have more time? What will you do with the extra time? Let them absorb and feel the feeling. People make their purchasing decisions based on emotions.  Some of you may think that is being manipulative…NO WAY! You may want to examine where the trigger came from – perhaps it is from an experience or belief you have had. What you are really doing is - helping people get what they want; it allows them to connect with what they want or the vision they have for themselves.

One of the other lessons that I have learned was about letting your best customer be your champions as you champion them. I enjoy receiving written, audio, and video testimonials. They are so powerful and they are a great way for the people you work with to cross-promote their business while sharing your gratitude with others. When people are in a state of appreciation, it is a great time to ask if they know of anyone who would benefit from the services you provided them. Ask them to share their experience with others.

A powerful quote I want to leave you with is this:

“There are people who love you and love the work you do that have pe...

I have to admit when I first dived into the entrepreneurial world I did not know much about sales. I thought you make a product and you introduce a service – and you simply share it with the world. I had a few sales here and there. I had a lot to learn and I am continuously learning…it was much different than health care yet there were some similarities. The similarities have to do with how you feel when you feel that you have been taken care of and people really care about you.

“People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care” ― Zig Ziglar

In health, they do care about whether or not you know what you are doing. What stands out the most is if you truly come from a place of caring you are going to want to the best for someone. You will ensure you know what you are doing and that you care about them as a person. The same goes for sales.

It is easy to say, “Look, I just want that product or that service.” What you really want is what the product or service will do for you! It is your job to find out what they need and want and be able to share how they will feel when they get it. During the past several months, I have devoured recommended books in sales from Jeffrey Gitomer’s Sales Bible to Larry Pinci and Phil Glosserman’s Selling the Feeling Series. They have been absolutely powerful game-changers to the way I will approach the sales conversation. I love creating memorable experiences for others and discovering their true need. When I coach business owners and executives, I enjoy helping them step into who they see themselves to be.

Imagine that you had someone help you reach some of the goals you long for. A person who helped you take a look at your situation and get really clear about where you want to go and created a detailed plan in partnership. That would be pretty cool right? Now you would be ready to take action and start getting results. That is what a coach does PLUS hold you accountable for the results you want to achieve.

Too many people focus on this is what it does – great but your customer wants to know what it will do for them. What are the benefits they will reap from having your product or service?  Let’s use the example of having a cleaning company come in once every two weeks. They tell you they will clean your home for a minimum of 3 hours at a certain rate. If the price factor or the time factor is most valuable, it will be important to that person. Find out why hiring your company is important to them. Will it give them more time to spend with their family or allow them to work on a hobby they have been passionate about? If so, address that specific reason. What will it feel like to have more time? What will you do with the extra time? Let them absorb and feel the feeling. People make their purchasing decisions based on emotions.  Some of you may think that is being manipulative…NO WAY! You may want to examine where the trigger came from – perhaps it is from an experience or belief you have had. What you are really doing is - helping people get what they want; it allows them to connect with what they want or the vision they have for themselves.

One of the other lessons that I have learned was about letting your best customer be your champions as you champion them. I enjoy receiving written, audio, and video testimonials. They are so powerful and they are a great way for the people you work with to cross-promote their business while sharing your gratitude with others. When people are in a state of appreciation, it is a great time to ask if they know of anyone who would benefit from the services you provided them. Ask them to share their experience with others.

A powerful quote I want to leave you with is this:

“There are people who love you and love the work you do that have pe...

What was once believed that social media was only a trend that the “kids” were using is now considered a valuable business tool. People are making more of their buying decisions based on what they learn and see through digital media. Social media is not going away so instead of resisting and why not learn more about leveraging it for your business, organization, or brand. We are human and we have the need to be social.

In today's podcast, I want to talk about some of the fears that people get caught up with when it comes to social media. I understand why people are fearful yet I also understand there is a way to leverage social media for your business to position yourself in the marketplace effectively.

Let's talk about some of the fears people have:

* I am NOT _________enough! Social media is changing on a daily basis and I think sometimes people get overwhelmed with trying to keep up with all of the changes. For the most part, the practice of using social media stays the same. It is too easy to say you do not know enough to use social media and use that as an excuse not to engage. If you feel you don't know enough about how social media works, consider doing some of your own research and take a look at what other people are posting and how you may be able to leverage this opportunity. You may decide to go to a networking event where you know that there'll be some social media marketers. They can share information to alleviate your fears. Take some time to experiment and start small. You have all the resources you need now all you have to do is tap into them - get social!

* I am going to FAIL! Fear of failure is one of the biggest things holding people back from achieving success. You may be afraid to share your ideas for fear of being criticized or ridiculed if something goes wrong. Failure and mistakes are nothing more than learning experiences giving you feedback and letting you know what worked and what didn't work. That's it! Learn the lesson and move on. You need to have confidence in your ideas and what you stand for. When you don't your own and believe in your ideas, how do you expect others to believe in you?

Create a strategy for yourself. Many businesses are reluctant to get into the social media game as they are not sure what to post and what times of day to post. Why not test to see if something works for a short period of time and if it doesn't work you can change it. You can always check out what times are best by Googling it or checking out iconographic on Pinterest. When creating your strategy you want to be very clear about your intention, your why-what is the outcome that you're hoping to achieve? What is the message that you want to share? Who is your audience? What do they do? What platforms are they spending their time on? You need to be positioned where they are. Social media is a great way to build brand loyalty and it is a cost-effective marketing tool to promote your business.

You can share some personal posts here and there so that your persona shines through but you do not have to post pictures of your dog regularly unless the dog is part of your brand or is the mascot or ambassador for your company. Think about what you post and post with intention. Random pictures should be saved for a personal profile. Give Facebook Live or Instagram Stories a try by giving life to your brand and sharing a little glimpse into your day and what you do. Video, by far, is one of the most captivating and engaging marketing tools you could be using.

* I am going to be ________! Criticized, judged, or ridiculed – you fill in the blank- if I post the wrong thing or say something silly. Worse yet, I may look foolish on video. People are always going to be entitled to their opinions...

What was once believed that social media was only a trend that the “kids” were using is now considered a valuable business tool. People are making more of their buying decisions based on what they learn and see through digital media. Social media is not going away so instead of resisting and why not learn more about leveraging it for your business, organization, or brand. We are human and we have the need to be social.

In today's podcast, I want to talk about some of the fears that people get caught up with when it comes to social media. I understand why people are fearful yet I also understand there is a way to leverage social media for your business to position yourself in the marketplace effectively.

Let's talk about some of the fears people have:

* I am NOT _________enough! Social media is changing on a daily basis and I think sometimes people get overwhelmed with trying to keep up with all of the changes. For the most part, the practice of using social media stays the same. It is too easy to say you do not know enough to use social media and use that as an excuse not to engage. If you feel you don't know enough about how social media works, consider doing some of your own research and take a look at what other people are posting and how you may be able to leverage this opportunity. You may decide to go to a networking event where you know that there'll be some social media marketers. They can share information to alleviate your fears. Take some time to experiment and start small. You have all the resources you need now all you have to do is tap into them - get social!

* I am going to FAIL! Fear of failure is one of the biggest things holding people back from achieving success. You may be afraid to share your ideas for fear of being criticized or ridiculed if something goes wrong. Failure and mistakes are nothing more than learning experiences giving you feedback and letting you know what worked and what didn't work. That's it! Learn the lesson and move on. You need to have confidence in your ideas and what you stand for. When you don't your own and believe in your ideas, how do you expect others to believe in you?

Create a strategy for yourself. Many businesses are reluctant to get into the social media game as they are not sure what to post and what times of day to post. Why not test to see if something works for a short period of time and if it doesn't work you can change it. You can always check out what times are best by Googling it or checking out iconographic on Pinterest. When creating your strategy you want to be very clear about your intention, your why-what is the outcome that you're hoping to achieve? What is the message that you want to share? Who is your audience? What do they do? What platforms are they spending their time on? You need to be positioned where they are. Social media is a great way to build brand loyalty and it is a cost-effective marketing tool to promote your business.

You can share some personal posts here and there so that your persona shines through but you do not have to post pictures of your dog regularly unless the dog is part of your brand or is the mascot or ambassador for your company. Think about what you post and post with intention. Random pictures should be saved for a personal profile. Give Facebook Live or Instagram Stories a try by giving life to your brand and sharing a little glimpse into your day and what you do. Video, by far, is one of the most captivating and engaging marketing tools you could be using.

* I am going to be ________! Criticized, judged, or ridiculed – you fill in the blank- if I post the wrong thing or say something silly. Worse yet, I may look foolish on video. People are always going to be entitled to their opinions...