One of the teachers, [...]]]> No matter how much we believe in what we do, sometimes somebody comes along and reminds us why we continue doing it. Whatever IT is. Last Saturday, I was running a workshop at the Institute of Education on how to tell compelling stories to children to excite them about learning.

One of the teachers, Daniel told the group of how he told a ghost story to his class while on a trip to Wales. They were enthralled, including one of his children, Ted, who has ADHD and rarely sits still or concentrates. On their return to school, Daniel tried to get Ted to do a piece of writing (always a struggle and Ted never writes more than four lines). Ted pleaded with him instead to tell him the ghost story again. Daniel, sensing an opportunity, said, “Why don’t you write it?”. To his surprise, Ted did exactly that, producing two full pages rather than his normal four lines. When it was assessed, it was two levels above Ted’s usual standard. Effectively he had made one year’s progress in a week.

There is almost nothing more important than exciting children about learning and increasing their chances in life. So here at Infinite Space, we’d like to set up a ‘story bank’ for teachers, to help spark ideas on how to use story in different subjects to inspire children. We’d love your thoughts.

‘We don’t want to end up speaking like the Queen.’

I couldn’t agree more. The Queen’s voice works for her because that is her authentic was of speaking. [...]]]> I was encountering some resistance on a recent workshop. The perception was that training your voice or changing it in any way could be fake and inauthentic.

‘We don’t want to end up speaking like the Queen.’

I couldn’t agree more. The Queen’s voice works for her because that is her authentic was of speaking. But it wouldn’t be authentic for most people.

When working with people to develop their voice it’s all about drawing out their real voice which often is locked in by tension and bad habits.

Most of us understand the concept of developing our muscles if we want to run faster or be stronger. The voice is the same. A group of muscles that need to be exercised and warmed up and which will become stronger and more effective.

It is possible to speak  more clearly, loudly and with more expression and still be ‘you’  It just means after some training people will be able to hear you and won’t get bored listening to you.

In acting terms, this meant to be physically and mentally focused and balanced. This was more difficult than it sounded, [...]]]> I was watching the managing director of a large company making a speech and I was reminded how we were constantly told at drama school to ‘centre’ ourselves. I realise now how valuable that was.

In acting terms, this meant to be physically and mentally focused and balanced. This was more difficult than it sounded, particularly when you were very nervous.

The MD I was watching was making a fairly good speech, but I was very distracted by his dancing around from foot to foot, and side shuffling. His body language was distracting from his message.It made him look a bit apprehensive and unfocused.

Learning to centre yourself is key to developing presence and to controlling nerves.  Learning to breathe slowly and deeply combined with either standing still or deliberate movement, avoids the fidgeting that can take away from your presentational impact.

Have a look around at people who are ‘centred’ and notice the difference in their impact. Louis Walsh isn’t. Gary Barlow is. And I know who I would listen to should I be planning to start a career in the music industry…

Well, actually, you can. And without years of training to be a brain surgeon. It’s very simple; it’s in how you choose language. A friend of mine [...]]]> You really need to convince somebody of your argument. But they’re really stubborn. Wouldn’t it be great if you could climb inside their brain and rewire their synapses?

Well, actually, you can. And without years of training to be a brain surgeon. It’s very simple; it’s in how you choose language. A friend of mine told me a great story of a trainer she was working with. She was puzzled. He was good, but the scores that he got from people who trained were excellent. Five out of five. And more than that, the adjectives that people using to describe him were, embarrassingly complimentary. She asked him what his secret was. He laughed and explained that it was just simple auto suggestion.

“It works like this”, he said. “The scoring system goes from one to five, five being the highest you can score. At the end of the training, I remind people of the five sections I’ve trained them on. Also, the training ends at five o’clock, which I happen to mention. I then give them the forms to fill out. And, lo and behold, I seem to score rather a lot of fives.”

Why is the question even important? Well, depending on where they come from, they will bring with them baggage. It’s probably [...]]]> Does your training focus on what’s coming out or what’s going in? You can probably answer this question most easily by looking at  who’s doing the training. Are they academics, actors, teachers, or psychologists?

Why is the question even important? Well, depending on where they come from, they will bring with them baggage. It’s probably useful, but baggage nonetheless. Their baggage will carry the learning that they’ll pass on.

The academics will bring a lecture; the actors will bring an interactive and role play style; the psychologists will bring Maslow, Myers Briggs personality tests and a whole host of fascinating and well researched theories. But all of them will have squeezed the learning to fit the shape of their baggage.

And unless an enormous amount of effort has gone into remaking the baggage, it’ll result in an output rather than in take approach. The focus will actually be on the trainer’s or coach’s learning style than on the styles of the people they’re supposed to be helping.

We’ll hold our hands up here and reveal our acting heritage. However, when we set up Infinite Space, we were determined to create an approach that brought together the various examples of best practice that we’d encountered working with other learning and development organisations. It’s how Stuff That Sticks was born.

So one of the things we’re going to be trialling over the next few months is a brief but helpful ‘Sticky’ questionnaire that we’ll send out and get back before our programmes. The aim is not to categorise people, but instead to discover some of the things, values and experiences that are important to them. It should help us frame our workshops in a way that directly engages people and ensures that the outtake is much more important than the input.

We’d love to get your feedback on this.

And then, out of the blue: “Can you tell a story that doesn’t have an ending?”

So, grab the speechwriter, throw lots of cash at her and get her to write your material.

But look at Ed [...]]]> What did Ed Milliband get right in his Labour conference speech yesterday? Well, rhetorically speaking, he was on top form. He told some good jokes, used great language and minted new metaphors.

So, grab the speechwriter, throw lots of cash at her and get her to write your material.

But look at Ed and weep.

The content said, “I can be your next Prime Minister”. The delivery said, “May I hold your coat, sir?”

Danny Finkelstein in The Times argues that ““Ed can do nothing about his two fatal flaws”. The second flaw he claims is about being too left wing, the first flaw, supporting this post, argues, that Ed’s non-verbal communication undermines his verbals. Where Danny Finkelstein falls down is in peddling the superficially attractive, conservative nonsense that Ed can do nothing about these areas. Because, anyone who’s been to drama school, in fact anyone who’s learned anything at all, ever, ever, knows that’s hogwash. Our brains are plastic, we adapt, it’s what makes us such a successful species.

So what should Ed do?
Michael White in the Guardian gave him five out of ten. Here’s how he might have approached a perfect ten:

Physically strong
Ed Milliband shifts around as he speaks. Which undermines the strength of his rhetoric and makes him appear to be hunting for the nearest urinal. Staying still or moving confidently, like David Cameron does well, around the platform would give him more gravitas or energy.

Ed Milliband uses half gestures for emphasis which strikes through rather than underlines what he’s saying. Physical movements need to start and finish clearly if you’re not to give the impression of having the early stages of Tourettes.

Vocally energised
The Labour leader has two really unfortunate vocal habits. Leaving aside the nasal quality that dogs him, first, he adopts a pleading quality and, second, he colours everything he says with a monotone of tragedy. The first diminishes his status and makes him sound like a cloakroom attendant begging for a tip, the second, makes him sound like either a victim or the bearer of bad news. Both of these are curable, no matter what Danny Finkelstein might suggest, with simple exercises.

Incidentally, Milliband also uses downward inflexions that make him sound as if he’s finished what he’s saying constantly, which interrupts his momentum and makes us as listeners give up, as he’s too tiring to concentrate on. Again, this is an easily soluble problem.

The bottom line is that Ed Milliband doesn’t feel like a future Prime Minister either to himself or to us. Until he convinces himself and the voters emotionally, he’ll remain — just like his words and his delivery — in opposition.

I’m afraid our website has been hacked. We’re rebuilding it, but please bear with us while we tidy everything up. In the meantime, if you’re looking for great training, please contact Simon on 07958 673543 or simon@aninfinitespace.com