The David & Ed Show

If you're in the UK you've probably already had your fill of the Labour Party leadership election saga, and more particularly the soap opera that has surrounded the two Milliband brothers, David and Ed who both ran for the top job.

For those of you non-UK folks, the edited version is that whilst David was always the favourite to win, and was indeed the winner of both the Labour MPs and nationwide party members vote, the larger Union 'block' vote (many of who’s members are not actually members of the Labour party) 'swung it for Ed' as one of the tabloid newspaper quoted a Union official boasting.

Publicly, all has been sweetness, light, and brotherly love.

However, as communication is so much more than the words we say, listening to the wider message from the two siblings has been much more interesting.

David, the older and more experienced one of the two, has through his grace supported and bolstered support for his brother, even though his smile told a very different, sad story. He's the eloquent, inspirational, funny communicator with the brain of a scientist on his shoulders suddenly with very little to say, and not sure what to do.

Ed; younger, geekier, more difficult and less eloquent, stumbled over his protestations of love and support for his beaten brother.
And now what? David must decide by later today whether to stay and be a part of the now very different vision his brother will create.
The positives and negatives of the situation are almost the stuff of fiction, and I'll leave that for you to imagine and play out in your own mind.
For me, my prediction, based on the body language of both brothers, especially evident during Ed's first leader's speech yesterday is that David, graceful as ever, will not put his name forward to be part of his brother's team.
Let's see...

(Some More) Secrets Of Body Language

Body language can truly speak louder than words. Knowing this, and using this information wisely can be a real bonus in business and in business situations.

Different body parts – eyes, hands, arms, legs – can be used in different gestures, with each one having several meanings. Body language is indeed a very powerful method to communicate with other people.

Talk By Using Body Language

Even without the use of words, you can effectively send your message to another person, and that person reply to you. The capability to understand body language can help you identify one's moods, emotions, feelings, and desires.

The use of direct eye contact indicates interest, positive thinking, and sincerity. However, it could mean otherwise: mistrust, doubt, and suspicion. Lateral eye movements may mean the person is lying, or inspecting his surroundings making sure no one or everyone is listening. If one would try to recall or imagine something, he would tend to look upward. Looking down may indicate as a submission to an authority, guilt, or domination.

New eBook

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More info soon!

Talking Yourself Up

It's official, according to the latest research, talking to yourself is not only normal, it can also have positive effects, from strengthening a dieter's willpower to lose weight, to improving decision making.

In a study at the University of Toronto, psychologists found that when prevented from inner self talk volunteers acted more impulsively, whereas those that were allowed to mull things over and discuss internally with themselves were able to weigh up the pros and cons and make better decisions more easily.

Read article here.

Is The Juice Worth The Squeeze?

I first heard this phrase at a conference a few months ago, when keynote speaker Rob Brown used it to great effect in a room of 700 delegates.

'Is the juice worth the squeeze?'

Rob was talking from a business networking point of view; do the results your presently getting justify the time and effort you're putting in?

Because, if not then something needs to change.

It's amazing how in life, and especially in business, many of us keep doing what we've always done, even though the world and everything in it has long since moved on.

Phrases like, 'it's what I've always done/it's just the way I do things/better the devil you know/same old same old/just keep plodding on', tell the listener, 'there's noting new or exciting here.'

Input Activity = Output Results
So, thinking about the effort and energy you put into your business life, ask yourself, 'is the juice worth the squeeze'?

• Are you getting the results you want?
• Are you being heard?
• Does the world really know you exist?
• Are you making a squeak when you know you'd really like to make a noise?

If the answer to any of the above is 'no', then now would be a great time to do something about it.

September is a new season, a time to 'get back on track', refocus, lay down new plans, begin new projects, set fresh objectives - clear your throat and the call out to the world loud and clear, 'I'm hear and I exist'.

It's about setting your stall, afresh.

If the juice you've been getting is not worth the squeeze, now is the time to define what 'juice' would be.

As Stephen Covey once said, 'before climbing that ladder to success, make sure it's leaning against the right wall'.

...and before you start squeezing your fruit of success, make sure it's the kind of success you want - otherwise the juice can taste pretty sour.

Something Different

It's often said 'if you do what you've always done you'll get what you've always got'.

In business coaching, it's always a bit of an eye opener in the initial 'discovering how you do what you do' phase when I get answers like:

- 'it's what I've been doing for years.'
- 'it's just what I know.'
- 'I can't do anything else.'
- 'it was really successful...6 years ago!'
- 'Well, I'm too old to change now.'

One of the realities of business is that, over a period of time, the goal-posts move and change. Call it progress, evolution...the market getting tougher, or more opportunities coming your way - keeping your eye on the target will have a major impact on the business results your enjoy.

Ask yourself the following questions: how is you're business growing now? How were you growing it 2 years ago? Is it the same? If so, how are the results different?

Do you know if you are getting the best return on your investment - and by investment I mean everything you are and what you bring to your business; your time, emotional buy in, employees, CPD - everything? Because, if you're not getting enough, it's only a matter of time before you lose interest, give up, or even worse, fail.

To take the phrase at the beginning of this blog post to the next logical level, 'if you want to get different results, you'll have to take different actions'. It's as simple and fundamental as that, and it's where most business owners have the most challenge.

Can an old dog learn new tricks? Is it possible for a leopard to change it's spots? In business it's a must.

So, ask yourself today: 'what else can I do, or what new skills do I need to learn to enable me to do something different'?

Because at the end of the day your business success will depend on your ability to adapt and change with the demands of a changing world.