Gadget Man

“You love gadgets don’t you?!”

That has been said to me by most people who know me. It’s true, I’m a technology lover and have certainly spent many hours being intrigued by the latest in technology ‘gadgetry’ that promises to make my life better.

In truth though, I have bought very little technology on a pure whim. I always find myself intrigued by a new idea and concept, or an improvement in what I have to the point where I need to find out if what I just found is actually the best example of that. So I go into research mode, looking to see who else is making similar tech, and if anyone has done it better. Only when I’ve satisfied myself that I’ve found what seems to be the best there is, then I may well make the purchase.

It’s probably why I was early into ‘investing’ into technology projects on Kickstarter and Indiegogo because often there were really interesting new technology ideas there that weren’t necessarily anywhere else (although I have to admit that I often seem to find a lot of re-hashed ideas there these days).

So why am I talking to you about gadgets at all?

Well, I couldn’t help but be energised by a conversation I had yesterday with my good friend Steve Trister. He has been building his business as a speaking coach, and we’ve been regularly updating each other on how things are going with our respective businesses. Having seen Steve go through various highs and lows in developing his business, it was great to see him in good form and enthusing about the work he’s been doing with some of his clients. He also excitedly introduced me to some new software technology that he’s been using. Which of course mobilised me into a little bit more tech research afterwards!

But more than anything, I was reminded about the power of those things that energise you. Those little triggers that move you into action. From that conversation I found myself digging into some areas that I had not really thought too much about, and got excited about some things that I had not really considered before for me and my own business. And I just got curious for a moment – what just happened there? Yes I have a natural curiosity for technology, but Steve’s infectious story about how it was helping him made me also want to take a closer look.

The power of storytelling.

As anyone working in marketing knows, it’s the storytelling that matters the most. It’s that connection to emotion and ability to spur action through inspiring others. Teams are also at their best when they are building a story together, when they feel like they are building the chapters of a book about what they are doing. Going somewhere together.

It seems to me like the acid test of whether you have the hearts and minds of the people and teams around you is when they are naturally wanting to share the stories about what they are doing, and the progress they are making with others. But here’s the thing, when that “sharing the stories” is done with real connection, empathy, and passion you don’t just hear them – you feel them.  And that is what makes the difference.

Look at those words again – connection, empathy and passion. In most business situations there is heavy emphasis on rationality and logic over emotion and intuition. However, there is plenty of research that the most emotionally intelligent and effective people are those that are able to bring together things like intuition, empathy and connection with their logical and analytical skills. By integrating the right and left hemispheres of your brain, allowing for gut feeling and intuition, logic and analysis, whilst also using your values and passions to guide you – new possibilities really can emerge and connections made for problem-solving in entirely different ways. Without it, I have seen people’s energy, innovation and creativity be crushed under the weight of the day-to-day grind for results.

Doing this by yourself is not easy. That is the power of talking to others, to inspire and be inspired, to be mentored and coached, and to allow yourself to tell stories, to help and coach others. This is what will open new possibilities, new pathways and adventures. It’s about becoming conscious of what is going on, noticing what is around you, and being open to learning, leading and following.

As a quick shout out to Steve Trister, check out thespeakingrevolution.com and see what he is doing with his courses and coaching on speaking with confidence and impact. One of the things I love about what Steve is doing, is that he is helping people to make that connection between the words they are saying and the feelings that need to go with them. In the absence of that connection, often lost in the pressure of a presentation,  I can guarantee that the power of what you are saying evaporates. Step one is simply to notice in yourself whether you are connecting your feelings to your words. As Steve would ask, are you “honouring your words”?

By way of finishing up this piece, some of you may be wondering about my top tech/gadgets that have stood the test of time and really do work for me every day…. if not, you can finish right here. If you are, then read on….

·        iPad Pro - Daily productivity, always on, always with me around the house.

·       Supernote A5X - Note taking and reading, no more drowning in a pile of notebooks.

·        Insta360 One X2 - Photo and video creative madness, largely replacing my drone.

·        Roland V-Drums -  Drum practice, if only I'd had them at 12 for my parents’ sake.

·        Hammerhead Karoo 2 - Cycling navigation, a device that doesn’t send me in loops.

·       Thinoptics - Restaurant menus readable again with pocketable reading glasses.

And if you want to know what got me spinning with interest from Steve Trister’s software tips, check out descript.com/filler-words and take a look at how that software automatically removes the ‘umms’ and ‘errs’ from your video/audio recording. For most of us, that would be incredibly useful in everyday life!