The Charismalab Blog

Tom Bruno - Magdich

2012-01-11T14:56:00.000-08:00

Here's a short clip from one of Tom's last appearances as the 'Management' guru on big Brother's Little Brother.

Jo and Lenny

2010-08-30T02:46:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE to see the trailer for a new SkyArts series called First Love featuring the lovely Lenny Henry being coached by Jo.

Charismatic Virgin

2010-08-21T02:40:00.000-07:00

Virgin is a brand that has always had some emotional significance and meaning for me. As a young man through the 1970s and 80s I dreamed of being a professional singer- songwriter and one of the most inspiring meetings I've ever had in my life was with an A&R executive at Virgin records who was interested in signing a band I was in. In the end it never happened but that is another story.
Virgin represented a gateway to a world where everything and anything might be possible.

Even when, back in 1985, the girlfriend (now wife) of a very close friend of mine became a Virgin flight attendant it seemed like the most glamorous job in the world and we were all very excited for her and she herself felt she was on the cusp of a universe of new adventures. Flying away from the greyness of everyday routine into exotic faraway lands where people smiled in the sunshine and danced their way into the early hours to Wham's Club Tropicana and the beat of electro pop.

All seems highly ridiculous thinking about it now.

However, seeing this commercial last year brought back much of that excitement and emotional response that the Virgin brand had surfaced in my youth. So I suspended my middle aged scepticism and my retrospective, negative evaluation of the 1980's 'greed is good' culture and wallowed in the shallows of a very narcissistic, often naive and yet innocent age gone by.

The Office David Brent Motivational Seminar

2010-08-20T14:58:00.000-07:00

I can barely watch this without squirming. However it's a great leveler and a warning to all of us who work in the business of personal and professional development never to lose humility. Dawn's expression at 4.00 is priceless.

Body Language with Chumley Warner

2010-08-06T00:53:00.000-07:00

POSTURES

Your browser does not support iframes.

Every so often we get a new theory about non verbal communication to get us thinking. Eye cues in NLP, the ubiquitous Albert Mehrabian's research and the research around 'Mirror Neurons'. However after a little thought and personal experimentation in the field most of these ideas prove to be tenuous at best. This Pathe news reel from the 1960's would be hilarious enough if it were a spoof. However it is the real thing!
POSTURES - British Pathe

The Man Who Measures Charisma

2010-08-04T03:16:00.000-07:00

That is the latest claim by Alex Pentland who directs the MIT Human Dynamics Lab. In fact he claimed 87% accuracy in one experiment where he predicted which individuals would win a business plan pitch without hearing their content!

He has developed an instrument called the sociometer. A badge that is worn by people and measures the dynamics of non verbal communication: gestures, expressions, tone as they interact with others in various environments. Apparently it records how much face to face interaction takes place, how close to each other people position themselves and how much each person just listens. The sensors also record stress levels when people were presenting as reflected by the variations of speed, tone, rhythm and pitch of the voice.

The theory is that certain non verbal behaviours are ‘signals’ that cause changes in the receiver of the signal. Much like the 'dancing' behaviour of Bees. This is essentially about the contagious nature of certain behaviours. Pentland’s research suggests that successful people are simply more energetic in all behaviours. Not just as transmitters of information but also as receivers. They are also great listeners.

Not rocket science! You may be thinking. However, it seems that it is the 'energy' with which these behaviours are performed that becomes the defining factor.

In an interview with Harvard Business Review Pentland says:

“The more of these energetic, positive people you put on a team, the better the team’s performance. We are learning how face-to-face communications affects productivity. We think face time with colleagues is as much as 2.5 times as important to success as additional access to information. Results aren’t final, but we think we can increase productivity by 10% at no cost just by rearranging the environment to promote more employee interaction. Positive, energetic people have higher performance.”

In this video from Google Talks Pentalnd reveals more about his research:

The question always remains how do you turn this research into identifiable behaviours?

When Jo Thompson and I developed the ‘Charismalab’ programme we mainly focussed on translating what we understood about the dynamics of charismatic behaviour from working as (and with) performers on the stage and screen. We were interested in what made successful performers successful. We discovered that it is their ability to communicate their values, ideas, beliefs and experiences using energised and engaging behaviours.

Pentland's research takes this discovery into more territories. Including brainstorming and productivity in teams.

In an interview with Psychology Today he states: “We found very similar results in a separate study focused on brainstorming: the more of these energetic, focused listeners that were on a team, the better the quality of their brainstorming. In brainstorming sessions with teams whose social style was similar to these ‘charismatic connectors,’ the resulting quality of the talking was characterized by high levels of listening, more even-handed turn-taking, and high levels of engagement, trust, and cooperation. These 'charismatic connectors' are the ultimate team players - and the key to making a team successful.”

This research certainly adds to other studies we draw on from the field of human energy and contagion and definitely supports our experience of working in the area of engagement and communication.

Contagiously yours

Tom

Learn to Speak Body: Tape 5

2010-08-01T23:54:00.000-07:00

This still makes us chuckle!

Energy - Creation or Evolution?

2009-08-31T02:10:00.000-07:00

Here's a thought for those of us who might wonder where the energy that became the material universe actually came from.

Was it created out of nothing or has it always been there?

Firstly we have to consider that as 'we' are 'something' that clearly exists (We think, therefore we are) then there is obviously no such thing as a state of eternal nothing. Otherwise we wouldn't be here at all. In fact we might say that nothing is an illusion.

The idea of no-thing is simply a consequential concept created by the fact that there is 'some-thing'.

Nothing is just an antithesis if you like. But an abstract all the same and unreal.

So we might safely say, with confidence that nothing doesn't exist!

(There's the answer to a Zen Koan if I ever heard one)

Seeker of truth: "Oh Zen master what is the meaning of life?

Zen Master: "Answer this question and you will know in a moment. What is Nothing?"

Seeker of truth: "The opposite of something?"

Zen Master: "Clear off you fool!"

Therefore 'The Universe' was not created from nothing. It always was, is and will be 'something' that exists.

However, at one point before time as we experience it, it was a small ball of potential energy.

13.8 billion years ago it simply began to expand and become a material manifestation of the 'will to be'. Hence the explosion and emergence of hydrogen and helium and then eventually our solar system around 14 million years ago.

It was always there. It was just a small universe that became a HUGE one.

It expanded from within itself because that is it's/ and our fundamental nature and necessary quality, or characteristic if you like. We are compelled to act by our energy!

Why?

Maybe the time was right to create TIME as it were.

Or maybe it was because it/we was clearly in a condition that was neither permanent nor stable. Which suggests that there has never been a total, perfect or permanent state of being in the known universe or even throughout all infinity . Otherwise we'd be in that condition now, surely?

So it follows that there is no template or set of reliable rules to follow.

The whole process is an act of creation in the purest sense.

Creating and evolving in an eternal process of self realisation. Just making it up as we go along.

Thoughts Create Reality! Really?

Quantum physics suggests that the first particles of condensed energy were probably photons (Light). Photons are the very things that created protons and electrons at the early stages. Photons are the smallest, irreducible packets of energy or quanta and yet they have none of the properties of matter, no mass nor speed etc. In fact they are closer to an experience than a thing. They could be thought of as a sort of proto - consciousness.

In fact the mechanics of thought in our brains involve photons in the creation, exchange and storage of information.

So photons, or proto-consciousness creates the material world at the quantum or micro level and awareness and consciousness creates the world at the macro level!

Here's a quote from a brilliant mind. The man who invented the first commercial helicopter then devoted the rest of his life to science and the study of consciousness and the universe.

"The earlier concept of a universe made up of physical particles interacting according to fixed laws is no longer tenable. It is implicit in present findings that action rather than matter is basic. . . This is good news, for it is no longer appropriate to think of the universe as a gradually subsiding agitation of billiard balls or atoms. The universe, far from being a desert of inert particles, is a theatre of increasingly complex organization, a stage for development in which man has a definite place, without any upper limit to his evolution."
--Arthur M. Young
The Reflexive Universe

So we might glean from this idea that an energised attitude, positive thoughts and focussed attention, supported by creative intentions are all that are required for personal and professional success.

Whatever that might look, sound and feel like to you.

Fifth World Organisations in the 21st Century.

2009-08-30T00:53:00.000-07:00

An ancient Mayan myth predicts that: "When the Blue Star Kachina makes its appearance in the heavens, the Fifth World will emerge"

I am not a follower of new age mysticism but I find it curious that futurists worldwide predict we are entering a time of transition that will begin to kick in around 2012. Not only in business but humanity as a whole. A time where all the lessons learned from previous ages and experiences come together to create an evolutionary leap in the way we live, communicate and do business.

In his book 'A Vision for 2012' John L. Petersen, a futurist and head of The Arlington Institute suggests there will be a massive societal and planetary disruption in the next decade. To avoid disaster we will need to develop further scientific and technological breakthroughs, from new political, societal and financial models, to increased medical research and innovative education policies. One concern is that governments in general act conservatively and plan and deal in incremental, short term advances until a crisis occurs. This is often about individuals trying to maintain the status quo or even lacking creativity due to a fear of change.

The solution is to introduce a culture of co-creatation and collaboration, with open lines of communication between individuals. However for this to happen, the way we build societies and organisations will have to transform. This of course ultimately and fundamentally begins with the people that live and work in these new societies and organisations.

The twentieth century saw the Internet heralding the dawn of a new age of communication where traditional boundaries began falling away. The global trading of produce and goods across cultures has led to the exchanging of experience and ideas. The open access to the global village made easier by cheap flights and less restrictions has allowed others to see, feel and hear the presence of nations previously hidden from view. This has led to a need for what some are calling '5th World Organisations' – Evolving, energised, inclusive, curious, tolerant, open, creative, generous, challenging, innovative and revolutionary.

Unfortunately more recent world events have reminded us why there might be such a need.

Now more than ever we are being made acutely aware that effective communication and relationship building are fundamental to the success and survival of the peoples of the globe. It is in this climate that the need for energised and evolving organisations is beginning to emerge. Corporate business has an integral role to play in the creation of global unity as capitalism can still benefit all nations when aligned to responsibility. Before this can happen we have to reflect on what has and has not worked before and what we need to develop further.

What is a 5th World Organisation?

Organisations and companies can be thought of in the same way as we think of global cultures for instance -

The world as we know it is made up of 4 different business and social groups:

1st World
We in the West generally describe democracies with thriving economies like the UK, USA, Germany, France and certain other countries in Europe and around the globe as ‘First World’ nations. Here there is capability, functionality and good results are achieved but much of the knowledge, technology, systems and processes could further evolve and develop.

2nd World
For us the ‘Second World’ defines countries or nations that we consider to have newer or slightly less stable democracies and economies than our own. Here the knowledge, technology, systems and processes are out dated and performance is average to poor.

3rd World
The ‘Third World’ is considered to be the poorest nations of the world.
Here there is an absence of knowledge, technology, systems and processes.

4th World
The ‘Fourth World’ could be thought of as small indigenous communities within larger, wealthier nations that are not independent or recognized and are either not developing or are developing very slowly. Tibet may be one example.
Here there used to be good communication, knowledge and technology but currently there are no effective processes or systems in place.

The way organisations develop and grow is largely dictated by the environment in which they exist. This means in our first world we will have organisations that are representative of our dominant culture. We have capability, functionality and good results are achieved but much of the knowledge, technology, systems and processes could further evolve and develop.

We can add to this the idea of a 5th World

This is an energized, intelligent, evolving global culture, an aspiration, an ideal, a possible future, and the best of all possible worlds. It is a momentum, an attitude, a state of mind, a way of thinking and being. In this world there is a continuous evolution of people, knowledge, technology and processes, increasing communication and maintaining alignment and synergy within and between systems. Organisations evolving in this world climate would need to be highly energised.

People who live and work in the 5th World would need to develop the skills to be highly intuitive, creative and energetic, and aware of the meaning of responsibility and the right use of power. They would have highly developed communication skills and be able to empathise with and relate to others. They would not have the limiting beliefs and attitudes that keep many of us from reaching our full potential.

Why the need for 5th World Organisations?

The demand for a new model is increasing as the global economy continues to bring more and more competition. The need to be creative, adaptive and flexible together with an ability to communicate and form strong relationships is vital to business success. There are currently several important trends emerging within the global business community.
They include:

• Redefining products as services
• Reliance on partnerships, collaborations, and strategic alliances.
• A shift from 'hard sell' tactics to relationships and needs fulfillment
• Defining company visions and creating internal alignment.
• New focus on serving both external and internal customers.
• An increase in the desire of employees for autonomy, job flexibility, and self-directing teams.
• Re-defining the meaning of the term profit into to mutual benefit.

Business is fundamentally a series of agreements and commitments made in the context of relationships not only between individuals but also involving teams, organizations, networks and alliances.

When we view the structure and form of a business transaction from start to finish we ‘see, hear and feel’ one to one interactions develop into ever widening spheres of people focused relationships as individuals and teams are galvanized into action to complete a transaction. This makes apparent what we've always known-people buy into people first, therefore people must always be considered first.

Viewed in this light we may start to experience business as a community made up of relationships, with the potential for personal and collective development. Working in 'business' can then be transformed (re-framed) from a 9 to 5, 24-7 grind of mere transactions into a daily exercise in relationship building, personal development and conscious evolution.

In order to stay with and ahead of the game organizations and their people will need to be creative, progressive, independent, adaptive, flexible and able to communicate and facilitate the sharing of information. This means personal and professional development and evolution.

Welcome to the 5th World

The 4 Dimensional Leader

2009-08-27T03:13:00.000-07:00

Many of us may be easily affected by the moods and emotions of others around us. Research suggest that this is because of an underlying human tendency to automatically mimic and synchronize facial expressions, vocalizations, postures, and movements with those of another person and, consequently, to converge emotionally with that person. Thisis known as emotional contagion and is most easily recognised to be present when infants become distressed or happy because another, nearby person is distressed, or happy.

The ability to transfer moods appears to be innate in humans and emotional contagion is a concept that has been studied within organizations.

Eminent psychologists like Howard Friedman and Richard Wiseman have been studying charisma and emotion and have apparently discovered that it’s all to do with being highly expressive.

Professor Friedman of the University of California became curious about charisma in the 1980s. Perhaps because of the sad lack of it during the decade of over extended shoulder pads and the ‘greed is good’ mantra. Anyway he suspected it had to do with non-verbal behaviour so he created a test to try and find out. The Affective Communication Test or ACT for short allows people to self identify how easily able they are to express their emotions using their body and voice.

Test participants were asked to score themselves on a scale of 1-4 as to whether a statement was true or not about them. Statements similar to: “I am easily able to flirt with my eyes” or “I can easily communicate an emotion on the telephone.” The test was designed to identify whether someone was a high or low expressive person. In other words, were they able to unambiguously express emotions so that people around them could recognise what type of mood they were in.

After testing a random group Friedman and his team then paired two high-scoring individuals and invited them to sit in a room together with a pair of two low scorers for just two minutes. The subjects were allowed to look at each other but asked not to speak. After the experience they were invited to complete a questionnaire about how they felt during the experiment.

In every case they discovered that the low scorers had been affected by the mood of the high scorers, demonstrating that the presence of an expressive person communicating an emotion, even non-verbally, is powerful enough to have an affect on others. However the low scoring, less expressive people had little if no affect on the high scorers.

Friedman called this effect ‘emotional contagion’.

If we combine this with some interesting, recent studies of leaders in business we can begin to understand how emotion and charisma are linked.

Research conducted by two pairs of psychologists Cote and Saavedra (2005) and Bono and llies (2006) came to similar conclusions by observing leaders interacting with their people. This body of research demonstrated that leaders considered to be charismatic transmit their emotions to followers more effectively, compared with non-charismatic leaders. Charismatic leaders were also observed to be able to literally change the mood of their employees merely by walking into a room. Their mood was communicated by the power of their presence and became contagious in a very short time.

So what was going on?

How was the mood being communicated?

It may be staring us in the face.

Charles Darwin, was the first to seriously study how our faces reflect and communicate our emotions and his work continues to influence contemporary thinkers in the field.

In the 1960s San Francisco psychologist Paul Ekman found that facial expressions do in fact indicate a person’s emotional state and are present in early infancy. Even a person born blind has the same facial expressions as someone who is sighted because facial expression is not simply learned it is hardwired into the brain and is universal in nature. Ekman discovered that many, human facial expressions are common to all races and cultures around the world. In fact animators have utilised his findings and theories of ‘facial coding’ to make animated characters faces appear more human.

Dr. Dan Hill is a psychologist working in the field of micro gestures and how they express and reveal emotions, particularly in the area of facial coding and eye tracking. He is interested in the science of emotions and how that might apply in the commercial market place of advertising.

Hill says that the whole face is the window to the emotions not just the eyes because the 43 key facial muscles are attached directly to the skin of the face; therefore any spontaneous flickers of movement can easily be detected. Even though these movements are small and very quick we humans are natural, facial coders and can read what mood a person’s in by their the micro facial gestures. In fact we rely on them particularly when verbal communication becomes confusing and difficult. Apparently we humans make our decisions emotionally but justify them rationally.

Nicholas Rule, a psychology professor at Tufts University co-wrote a paper called "The Face of Success" which was published in the journal Psychological Science detailing his findings around people who were asked to identify successful, charismatic business leaders simply by looking at photographs of faces. The study revealed that the test group were able to accurately guess levels of competence, dominance, likeability and trustworthiness just by looking at their facial expressions.

Emotional Contagion can be activated in two forms:

'Implicit' emotional contagion

This relies mainly on non-verbal communication, although it has been demonstrated that emotional contagion can, and does, occur via telecommunication. For example, people interacting through Emails and "chats" are affected by the other's emotions, without being able to perceive the non-verbal cues.

The second form is 'Explicit' emotional contagion

Contrary to the automatic infection of feelings described above, there are times when others' emotions are being manipulated by a person or a group in order to achieve something. This can be a result of intentional affective influence by a leader or team member. Suppose a leader or manager wants to convince or influence others directly they may do so by consciously behaving and acting in a way that communicates a forced passion and enthusiasm. The positive emotions are then like an act with a purpose of "contaminating" the others' feelings. Explicit and intentional mood contagion can also be activated by giving a team a reward, or treat, in order to manipulate their emotions.

The emotional contagion process is essentially a primitive, automatic and unconscious behavior. When people interact each perceives the emotional expressions of the other. They can then be thought of as senders and receivers of emotion. If one sender has more personal energy the receiver may begin to automatically mimic the emotional expressions of the sender. As high energy behaviour has more impact than low energy behaviour a process of afferent feedback is triggered and the senders expressions are translated by the reciever into actually feeling the emotions the sender feels, thus leading to emotional convergence. Unfortunately studies have revealed that unpleasant emotions are more likely to lead to mood contagion than are pleasant emotions.

Understanding how to manage energy in the four dimensions (Physical, emotional, Intellectual and Motivational) can help you become what we at Charismalab call a 4 Dimensional Leader - personally and professionally.

Email us to find out more about our leadership programme.

Charisma Cloned?

2009-06-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

I thought it was just me who'd noticed that the highly charismatic Nigel Harman and........

Mr 'retro charisma' Jess Conrad look like they could have been seperated at birth. If there wasn't a forty year age gap between them you'd think that was in fact the case. However, I know Nigel personally having spent a year working alongside him in the hit musical Mamma Mia and I'm pretty certain he's not related to old Jess, but the resembelance is uncanny, no?

That's why Nigel is going to be playing Jess in the forth coming movie release 'Telstar' about the life of sixties record producer Joe Meek. Even so the 'looky likey' thing between Nigel and Jess is still spooky.

Nigel Harman was born in 1973 so maybe there was some cloning action going on in the sixties when Jess was a star.

Jess is the one the left guesting in the sci fi series Space 1999.

Maybe it's all to do with the Raelions? Perhaps they're trying to clone charismatics and harvest their charisma so they can take over the world...Yikes!

3 D Dominate tricks!

2009-06-12T15:38:00.000-07:00

An experiment at Berkeley University revealed that asserive people who behave in a more dominant way are viewed to be more capable than less dominant individuals, whether or not they actually have any genuine skills or competencies.

In the experiment students were asked to rate their own personalities in terms of dominance and then join a group that was videotaped solving a set of math problems. The students were told that the best group would win a large pot of cash as a prize.

Individuals who had rated their own personalities as more dominant were indeed perceived by others to have exerted more influence on the group. Moreover, dominant individuals were perceived as influential largely because others thought they were more competent. Even independent observers who only watched the video identified the more dominant characters as being the most capable, regardless of whether or not they really were.

So it seems that a by product of assertiveness is an air of competence.

This sounds like a classic 3 dimensional expression of high level, positive, personal energy (physical, emotional and motivational-V.I.B.E.) without needing the 4th - intellectual dimension.

What a difference a nose makes!

2009-06-11T02:03:00.000-07:00

Charisma is absolutely not dependant on a persons physical appearance.
However natural beauty (as defined by the beholder) combined with a 'positve' charisma is irresitible.

It seems behaviour is the defining quality in terms of how we are perceived and recently we've been thinking about how much a combination of our physical looks and behaviour can affect the way we feel and vice versa. In other words can the way we look and behave alter our moods?

By simply 'acting as if' and behaving in a highly energised way ( with a positive attitude ) can we really affect a change in ourselves and those around us?

Apparently we can and some recent research has revealed that leaders considered to be charismatic and inspiring were those that were able to express, in their behaviour, positive emotions. It was also revealed that high energy behaviour created an emotional contagion that can quickly spread to others.

It is interesting to note that some of the great actors often work on the physical appearance of a character or person they are going to play in order to access the internal, emotional life of that character. Nicole Kidman certainly worked wonders with a false nose and Anthony Hopkins famously stared his way through the mind of a psychopath.

This is a very different approach to the the intense introspection of the American method actors like Streep, DeNiro and Pacino who relied very much on connecting their own psyche with the mind of a character first.

So, what if you were to begin behaving as if you were highly charismatic, whatever that means to you?

What might that look, sound and feel like?

Start from the 'outside in' and think about the following questions:

What would you need to wear that is different from how you currently dress?

How would you move your body: gesture, posture and style of walking etc?

How would the speed, tone, rhythm and pitch of your voice change?

What effect might it have on you?

What effect might you have on others?

How might that be different from the impact you make now?

Why not try it for a day and literally 'behave yourself' ?

Uncharacteristically Uncharismatic?

2009-05-04T04:14:00.000-07:00

Now, Berlusconi may have many faults, as do many of us, but he is undoubtedly a shrewd and clever man. After all, not only is he the Prime Mininster of Italy but he is also an extraordinary entrepenuer. His successes include being the founder and major shareholder of one of Italy's ten largest privately owned companies which currently operates in media and finance. The company's portfolio includes three national analogue television channels, various digital television channels, as well as some of the major Italian news magazines. He's definitely no light weight, particularly in the Charisma department.

So you would think he would be aware of the effects of his behaviour and in control of his media image.

Therefore we were utterly suprised to find this video on YouTube showing Berlusconi goosing a traffic warden.

I have to say we were relieved to discover later that this is a fake and the gentleman doing a marvelous impersonation is called Mauritzio Antonini.

Phew!

What Happened to Mel Gibson's charisma?

2009-04-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

Poor Mel is in the news again. His marriage of 28 years is finally in tatters because of a string of affairs finally culminating in his impregnation of a young Russian model some 30 years his junior. However you've got to give him some credit for sustaining 28 years of marriage. In my book that's a success by anyones standards, let alone Hollywoods.

What we're more interested in is when did Mel Gibson go from being an actor with probably the highest charisma quotient in Tinsel Town to resembling a member of the Taliban?

Come to think of it, judging by his behaviour of late one would be forgiven for thinking he is making a comeback as a 'Saddam Hussein' tribute act.

Emmanuelle Beart - Charisma Commercialised

2009-04-25T09:47:00.001-07:00

Admiring Charismatic celebrities Can Help Improve Self-esteem.

2009-04-22T15:13:00.000-07:00

An article from Wiley-Blackwell (2008, June 6) explores the work of Jaye L. Derrick and Shira Gabriel of the University at Buffalo, State University of New York who conducted three studies to examine the relationship between self-esteem and admiring celebrities. Actors, musicians, singers and sports stars tend to exude charisma. Mostly due to the carefull staging and management of their images. It's truly amazing what great lighting, shrewd camera angles and a little touch of PhotoShop can achieve.

Anyway, it was discovered that people with low self esteem still have a personal image of an ideal self. However instead of creating and developing their own image and desired persona they prefer to 'project' their ideal self onto their favourite celebrities. They can then vicariously live out a confident persona by following every move their celebrity makes.

The research demonstrates that imaginary relationships with celebrities can actually be of more benefit to people with low self-esteem than real relationships. Mainly because these relationships have very low risk of rejection, offer an opportunity to reduce self-discrepancies and help them feel closer to their ideal self image.

Who needs charisma when you can borrow it from the professionals?

4 Types of Energence

2009-04-19T13:04:00.000-07:00

Our bodies are highly intelligent and sophisticated generators of energy. Outputs and inputs are managed with barely a conscious thought from us. All we have to do is provide the required daily dose of fuel and water and the body's system does the rest. The combination of intelligence and energy is the most vital quality we possess. The force of these two elements is behind all our physical and psychological functions, the drive behind the evolution of life on the planet and probably the 'first cause' of the universe itself. We believe the combination is so vital that we consider them to be inseperable qualities and have coined the term 'Energence' to describe it in an easy to use word.

So how does this look, sound and feel when expressed in a human being?

Just for fun, we've identified four types of 'Energence' that you might experience from the people you meet during the course of your day. We've based this on a familiar model usually used to describe military leaders that some of you may recognise.

1. Low Energy, Low Intelligence - Easy and sometimes amusing company if you've got a lot of time on your hands.

2. High Energy, High Intelligence - Consult them if you need to keep up with who's who, what's what, how, where and when.

3. High Energy, Low Intelligence - Absolute nightmare, to be avoided at all costs.

4. Low Energy, High Intelligence - Seek their advice if you need a strategy for maximum returns from minimum effort!

Charismatic Body Language?

2009-04-16T10:46:00.001-07:00

With all the nonsense talked about body language these days Jo and I felt this was a refreshing look at the subject.

Charisma, positive emotions and mood contagion

2009-04-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

The power of emotional contagion is probably the least understood but the most important aspect of organisational engagement.

At Charismalab we have long been working with the neurophysiological mechanisms of what we call the E-motion of personal energy with our clients. In other words how the energy you generate and release through the way you feel affects not only your physical behaviour but also the feelings and behaviours of those around you. For us this is key and why interpersonal behaviour is at the core of our 'Organisational Engagement' programme.

It is interesting then to note how more and more psychologists are increasingly taking the whole idea of charisma and the 'Charismatic affect' seriously and beginning to understand how it is connected to a person's energy outputs.

In a series of studies undertaken by psychologists Joyce E. Bono and Remus Ilies the role of positive emotions in the charismatic leadership process were examined. They measured ratings of charisma in a natural work setting by linking the energy generated by leaders exhibiting positive emotional expressions which affected the mood states of followers.

Their results suggested that mood contagion may be one of the psychological mechanisms by which charismatic leaders influence followers. In the first instance they used trained actors who: "recreated a leaders positive emotional expressions to isolate the effects of positive emotions from the potential effects of non-emotional aspects of effective leadership (e.g., vision, other inspirational influence processes)."

A positive link between the leaders emotions and followers mood was found. The results also indicated that both the leaders positive emotional expressions and the followers mood influenced ratings of leader effectiveness and attraction to the leader.

"This clearly indicated that leaders' emotional expressions play an important role in the formation of followers' perceptions of leader effectiveness, attraction to leaders, and follower mood."

More importantly the research suggests that 'charismatic' leadership is linked to organizational success as the behavior of leaders and managers is highly contagious and can make a difference in the happiness and well-being of the followers by influencing their emotional lives.

It was also revealed that an individual expressing high levels of negative energy in the form of negative attitudes and behaviours is more contagious than someone expressing high, positive energy.

Well they're always telling us that 'good' news doesn't make good news, maybe there's the clue to why.

The Secret of Success

2009-04-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

“Woody Allen once said: “90% of success is just showing up.”

It's okay just to show up but we would add that it's then down to what you do while you're there that matters.

Jo and I work with many, highly successful people and what we've discovered is that they are all able to make time to take action and move towards their goals. That’s why they differ from those of us who spend our lives wishing, hoping and if only - ing about more time.

A very successful person in business once said to me, when I was struggling to stay on track with a project “ Just keep going because I know you can’t fail.” I asked him how he could be so sure, and soon discovered that the principle behind his thinking was that people don’t fail they just stop, or give up.

That simple phrase changed the way I think about success. For me, success is when I am on the journey towards a goal. When I am on a mission, taking action, I feel like I am successful; whether I reach the end or not. I am actually driven more by the experience of having tried, because I genuinely enjoy the challenge of the journey more than the end result. It’s not been completely plain sailing up to now as I have experienced the best and the worst that life has to offer, but I am still standing and ready to go.

We’d like to offer this list we’ve compiled based on a combination of talking to our clients, books and articles we’ve read and one to one interviews we’ve conducted about and with successful people in the course of our work as communication skills coaches. It"s a list of 10 things successful people do and the qualities they possess.

So here we go:

1. They have a plan with clearly defined goals.

2. They will take on arduous or difficult tasks if necessary.

3. They try and take the road less travelled and be unique.

4. They have a laser focus and vision.

5. They treat failure as an opportunity to learn rather than a point at which to give up.

6. They have lots of courage.

7. They manage time and do something each day, however small that contributes to their journey towards their goal.

8. They develop communication skills to effectively manage people.

9. They are alert and open minded.

10. They know what they want to achieve.

You may have more to add, but if we develop the qualities on this list will we then really be guaranteed to achieve success?

We don’t believe so, because there is a vital ingredient missing.

The fact is, to keep going in the face of the many challenges we face in life, we need one thing above skill, knowledge expertise and experience…

The personal energy to take action.

If you look for the common denominator that unites successful entrepreneurs you will find they all have access to a higher level of personal energy than those who don't succeed at achieving their goals. The ability to raise the energy to do what you don't feel like doing but know that you have to do it in order to reach your goal is the trick. The secret is to develop your own personal energy management strategy based on how you expend and recover your energy.

Either that, or recognise those that have the quality and quantity of energy that you lack, seek to inspire them and then hire them.”

Good luck!

Overcoming a fear of Public Speaking.

2009-04-04T12:18:00.000-07:00

The psychologist Fritz Pearl once said: "Fear is excitement without the breath."

Imagine what opportunities would open up for you if you could get excited about speaking in public.

If you think it's worth a go then here are some thoughts to get you started.

The first step to managing fear, in any situation, is learning to 'breathe' more effectively. Most people take short, high breaths when they begin to feel anxious and sadly, for some, this can lead to feelings of panic. When that happens, good breath control is vital.

Here are a couple of tips:

When you notice fear rising within you, also notice how you are breathing. e.g. Are you breathing more quickly than normal? Are your shoulders rising and is the breath becoming contained high in your chest?

The next step is to consciously, slow your breathing down and focus on keeping your shoulders from rising as you breathe deeply and more slowly. The first thing that will happen (as you focus energy into concentrating on your breathing) is that your attention will shift away from what's making you nervous . The next thing that will happen is you will begin to calm down because you'll have stabilised your oxygen intake.

When the rate at which we breath increases, the extra oxygen we take in goes straight to our bood stream. This causes a chemical reaction that speeds up our metabolism which then generates more energy in our body (and mind). If we are anxious, the feeling this extra energy creates can be mistaken for more feelings of fear. This can set off a 'Panic Loop'. The more anxious we feel, the faster we breathe, the more our metabolism speeds up, the more energy is generated, the more anxious we feel and so on.

When preparing to speak in public you can spend a few minutes, before you enter the space, slowing your breathing down and imagining (visualising) the air you're breathing is a calming, energy that flows into your tummy rather then up around your shoulders. This will help to break the loop. Again, this process of 'active imagination' will take your mind away from anxious thoughts and assumptions about what might happen and how the audience might or might not react. Most people are okay once they get over the first few minutes and get into their presentation or speech.

These two steps alone will interrupt your fearful feelings and should help you get past the first, crucial moments. You'll then need to practice a strategy for 'reframing' your fear with positive thoughts that support you rather than negative thoughts that will undermine your ability to speak effectively. The objective is to practice breathing effectively and consciously turning anxious feelings and thoughts into feelings of excitement and energy.”

Making an Impact in an Interview

2009-04-03T05:35:00.000-07:00

We all face many difficult challenges during our life time and though not necessarily life threatening, it would be safe to say that, for some of us, the interview is up there with the worst of them.

Whether you are a working adult applying for a new job, or a young person leaving school, hoping for a place at your chosen University or simply leaving education to enter the Job market it is almost a certainty that you’ll be asked to attend an interview.

Though we may have lots of reasons for thinking and behaving the way we do the interviewer has one purpose and one purpose only. To find and fit the right person into the right role or job position. The other sure thing is that you’ll be facing considerable competition.

So you might be wondering how the panel or interviewer makes their final choice when several candidates all have the same skills and qualifications on paper?

The answer?

Their decision will be based on their experience of you during the face-to-face interview. That’s why it’s the most important part of the selection process and that’s when the magic must happen.

Most books and courses on interview skills offer help and advice on CV writing, and many focus on the same old, clichéd questions the interviewer might ask. Some even suggest that you reply with stock answers that you‘ll find in every book on the subject. Few address the most vital ingredient-

Your personal charisma.

You may have heard the phrase it’s not what you say but how you say it that counts. You may be clever, hardworking, ambitious and have all the right qualifications and intentions but the choice will be made on the interviewers experience of you in person.

If there is a choice between two candidates possessing the same qualifications, knowledge and skills the choice will come down to a something very basic. How the interviewer or panel ‘felt’ about you after you left the room.

We often can’t remember what someone says, we sometimes remember what someone does, but we’ll never, ever, ever forget how someone has made us feel.

If you were interviewing people for a job and one person made you laugh and left you feeling happy, optimistic and positive about them while most of the others made you feel, frustrated, bored, uncomfortable or patronised, who would you choose?

We talk about charisma in terms of personal energy.

When we communicate a value, idea, belief or experience the impression we leave is determined by the impact we make on others. This impact is based on the other persons experience of our presence. The way we are experienced is a combination of the quantity (high or low) and quality (positive or negative) of our personal energy.

For example:

High Energy - Positive intention and attitude: Can be experienced as a motivational and inspiring presence in appropriate situations and contexts.

High Energy - Negative intention and attitude: Can be experienced as an aggressive, de-motivating and a de-pressing presence.

Low Energy- Positive intention and attitude: May be a calming influence but may also have little, to no real effect as the Kinesic dimension does not fully or adequately communicate the emotional, intellectual and spiritual dimensions required to have an impact.

Low Energy- Negative intention and attitude: May have marginally less impact than the above though, sometimes a negative attitude seems to more easily attract attention and elicit a response. As in, good news rarely makes the front page.

Most of us teeter in the middle with occasional peeks to either side. Learning how to manage the quantity and quality of your personal energy is the key to developing an effective communication style and even a more charismatic presence.
Our energy is expressed in 4 dimensions

1. Physical (What we do- how we move, kinesically and consciously)
2. Emotional (What we feel-our passions, dreads and fears)
3. Intellectual (What we think-our knowledge and understanding)
4. Motivational (What we believe- our drives based on our V.IB.E. values, ideas, beliefs and experiences)

Becoming aware of where we use and express the most and least energy can help us to understand where the deficits are. It can also help us to see where the balancing and tipping points reside.

A person who is highly energised intellectually but expressing no physical or emotional energy will be experienced differently from someone operating from the emotional and motivational (belief) dimensions. An awareness of where we might safely draw energy from and an understanding of how to express it at the most appropriate levels, can dramatically enhance our personal style of communication.

The worlds best orators and performers understand the source and power of the four dimensions of human energetics, even if they haven’t been able to describe exactly what it is they do.

Charismatic communication is simply the ability to generate, calibrate and manage a high level of physical and emotional energy, focussing and expressing it intelligently in specific behaviours.

And of course thoroughly researching and preparing your interview answers and questions.

Tom

James Morrison

2009-04-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

On Monday I had the pleasure of warming up James Morrison before his gig at Hammersmith Apollo. He has such a wonderful voice and it is always a treat to work with him. The gig was electric, James’ singing was stunning, and the band amazing. The crowd went crazy for him.

It got me thinking how far he has come as an artist. I first saw him a couple of years ago in a small club in Kentish Town. The room only held about 30 people and the stage was tiny. I remember saying to my partner that he was going to go far. He was by no means a polished performer at that stage but he had an energy, intention, musicality and commitment that was very engaging. Now, two years on he is the real deal. He has really raised his game and taken his performance to another level. The buzz and energy he created in his audience was almost tangible and at times it nearly knocked him back off his feet (‘Wooo’ he kept saying in response to what he had created). The exchange of energy was a thrilling thing to witness.

Jo Thompson

Welcome to the Charismalab Blog!

2009-04-02T02:21:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone and welcome to the new Charismalab Blog. We are very excited about our new forum. We'll keep you in touch with all our latest news and thoughts relating to the field of advanced communication and voice skills (and a whole lot more!).

Tom Bruno Magdich and Jo Thompson