Lessons From My Father

In the 70’s self-fueling became a thing in Ohio. Through the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and beyond my dad never let my mom pump her own gas. He would take the car and fill it for her, but she never ever self-pumped.

On the other hand, I think self-fueling is all I have known in the time I have been driving. While I may try to fill-up before I do my nails or go to an important appointment it doesn’t always work out that way with my schedule.

The other day I stopped to self-pump and pulled up behind a man filling containers with gasoline. I jumped out and pilfered through my wallet to find my credit card. At the moment I went to insert the credit card, the man ahead of me stopped and walked over to me.

He said, “you are dressed too nicely to pump your own gas, let me pump it for you."

No one has ever, ever offered to pump my gas. He just pumped it and was off, kind of like Antonio Banderas as Zorro.

I asked him his name. He said just call me Major.

Thanks Major for being as chivalrous as Herbie.

You may have heard me say that our value lives in the difference we make. If you go to the dentist with a toothache and leave with the same pain, you are not happy. You want to look different after a visit to your hair stylist than you did before your visit. Often the more difference the more perceived value.

So I asked mayor-elect Shammas Malik how Akron would be different after his first term than it is now.

3 Tips When You Moderate a Panel

1. Acoustics are #1



When you speak good acoustics are your best friend . . . and moderating is no exception. It’s your job to protect your message. Diamonds may be flying out of your mouth. If your audience doesn’t hear them their value is closer to cubic zirconia.

Lesson Learned:  There may be a tech person helping with your panel. You still have to know more about volume than the “expert” knows. Visit the venue a day or at least an hour before you speak. Can you make sure the volume is much louder when the room is empty than you think it will need to be?

2. You're In Charge

If there was an organizational chart for panels, the moderator would be at the top. The panelists would be a level under the moderator. You first need to tell yourself that you are in charge of that time slot. Then you want you’re verbal, vocal, and visual to all say “in charge.”

Lesson Learned: Put the spotlight on you in the introduction and the conclusion. Provide an intro that “sets the table.” Listen to panelists so you can reference something from each one in your conclusion. All speaking needs a call for action. How will you ask your audience to think or act differently?

3. Be a Human Timer

No one tells you: your job as a moderator is to see to it that each panelist gets equal time “in the spotlight." What makes this a challenge is that some panelists speak way too much and some appear to not want to speak at all. You also want to keep mental track of each panelist’s minutes at the same time you are moderating.

Lesson Learned: Practice what you will say when you want a panelist to talk more or talk less. What will that sound like? Perhaps you can ask for more specifics, ask a particular panelist to weigh in, or use the technique “I’m curious." Do you have a plan to encourage and discourage panelist participation?

When I practiced with Benji for our pars cour class, Tevi was often with us. I noticed that he really took to the challenges. When Benji’s class ended, I signed up Tevi.

Benji has more focus and mental grit. Tevi has more athletic ability and less of an attention span. Like your team members they both have different strengths.

I asked myself, “which one would I chose if I was competing?” The short answer is it depends on the length of the completion. The longer answer, I believe grit outweighs ability most of the time.

Do you know your team member’s strengths and who is most effective for a particular challenge? Click Tevi's picture to watch a video of one his strengths.

Why Participate in this HorseTalk?

Last chance of the year!

"And God took a handful of southerly wind, blew his breath upon it, and created the horse." Bedouin legend

HorseTalk: Lessons in Leadership 2023

This day requires us to be fully aware and present in the moment.

The day requires of us to not over-think and to think like our audience, which on this day is a horse. 

The third benefit is that horses bring us back to our authentic nature: a leader, a follower, or both.

When your horse follows you without being asked, when he rubs his head on yours, feel a tingle down your spine . . . you know you are loved. John Lyons

Our first HorseTalk is September 29 – 9:00am - 4:00pm. 

Pop-Up Spooky Halloween Event - stay tuned

Ask me about my 10 in 10!