Looking Back
Have you ever had an experience that, while relatively short in duration, made a lasting impression on you? Such experiences and the impressions they leave can have an impact on us—and what we do—for the rest of our lives.
One example in my life is the time I spent in Viet Nam as a Marine officer. It was only 13 months (out of 65 years, so far), but the impressions it made and the lessons it provided have served me well in many areas of my life. Perhaps the most indelible mark it made was on my perspective.
In 2004, I completed a 3-year experience that has also served to expand my perspective; some might say sharpen it. In retrospect I can say, without hesitation, that it was time well spent.
“The Belly of the Beast”
For 14 years (1987-2001) I was a full-time professional speaker, in partnership with my wife, Barbara. In the early days, our clients were primarily small, “mom & pop” companies in Texas. Within 5 years I was speaking for corporate audiences all over the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Our speaking business had literally taken off.
In 2001 one of my corporate clients, the president of a services company, heard me deliver a keynote presentation for one of his divisions. After the session he introduced himself and asked if I would be willing to meet with him to discuss my doing more work for them. More work always sounds good, so we met several times over the next few months.
Long story short—he ultimately offered, and I accepted, a position in his company, Vice President of Strategic Development. During the ensuing 3 years (2001-2004) I learned some extremely valuable lessons about life in corporate America. During that time I also continued to do a limited number of speaking engagements, and I found myself incorporating the lessons I was learning into my presentations. Encountering and dealing with the same type of circumstances my audience members were facing served to expand my perspective and enhance my effectiveness as a speaker. I had been away long enough, so in June of 2004 I returned to the work I truly love, professional speaking.
The practical lessons I’ve learned—and re-learned—during my stint as a corporate vice president have enhanced the value I’m able to deliver as a speaker and consultant. For example, I’ve made the following modifications to my content:
1.More real-world insights on key topics such as:
Leadership
Culture
Change
Teamwork
Personal/Professional Accountability
The Relentless Search for Better Ways
Sales
2.New, more relevant—and, of course, funny—anecdotes/stories for bringing concepts and principles to life (capturing and holding participants’ attention)
Theory to Practice
But the improvements go beyond content. My 3 years in “the belly of the beast” have provided stunning proof of the gap between theory (what sounds good from the platform) and execution (what gets done after the speeches are over).
In order to help my corporate clients facilitate implementation of the ideas I present, I have developed and am currently delivering an aggressive, multi-week follow-up process. In that process I partner with clients’ managers to develop and implement strategies that will help them and their associates bridge the gap between theory and practice. I use my influence and credibility as the person who presented the theory to facilitate adaptation and implementation of the things that sounded so good from the platform.
In summary, my 3 years back in corporate America have provided the lessons I needed to make significant improvements in my materials, my presentations and my follow-up. Those improvements reflect my commitment to being a more than just a speaker.