Three Things Blog
Leslie Ehm – Founder and Principal of Three Training, spills her training secrets, truths, insights, tips and dirty tricks for making things happen. She dishes on ideation, collaboration and presentation skills and other juicy stuff for agencies, marketers and anyone else looking for that killer edge. Never sugar coated, sometimes expletive-filled, always honest to a fault, this is the peek behind the curtain at Three Training.
Three Smart Questions to Ask Before a Brainstorm
Posted by Leslie Ehm in Ideation. No comments yet, leave your own
Most of us enter into brainstorms blind. We get an email request, a heads pops into our office or its part of a schedule so we just show up. We bring our brains, some trepidation, and the hope that a) candy will be provided and b) it’ll be over soon. And when we leave, we’re rarely sure if we really accomplished anything. One of the many reasons for this is that we didn’t get a chance to set ourselves up for success. Hell – we probably didn’t even know what success looked like. There’s an even better chance that the stakeholder didn’t know either. This is a recipe for serious time wastage.
So next time you’re invited to a brainstorm, try raising these three smart questions asap. It will not only help to make organizers accountable, but to establish exactly what’s expected of you.
1. Do we have a clear challenge statement and can we evolve if it necessary? Nothing frustrates me more than going into a brainstorm and being told “we’re coming up with ideas around X”. What the heck does that mean? That anything left or right of it is ‘good’ or anything I can think of in the general vicinity of ‘X’ is gold? Course not. This is pure laziness. Stakeholders need to take the time to decide EXACTLY what you’re supposed to be ideating on and then form that into a carefully worded evocative statement designed to elicit creativity. And if they don’t have one, you should know this going in – because it’s a signal that it may be a time wasting cluster-you-know-what. The ‘evolve’ part of the question will tell you whether you’ll have the opportunity for input in the room in pursuit of that challenge statement or whether you’re just a automaton brain for hire.
2. Will we be generating ideas or also selecting them? This will give you a sense of how the brainstorm will or should be structured. For example, if it’s scheduled for an hour and you’re expected to both generate and select ideas, it means that the stakeholder probably doesn’t have a realistic grasp on how long convergence (selection) can actually take. In addition, it will mean that you probably won’t have ample time to clean your brain pipes to allow you to dig into uncharted idea territory. It’ll also tell you how much accountability and / or ownership you’ll have. If you’re generating ideas and then walking away, you’re likely to have no input in the development or selection of the final ideas. Which is fine too – but you deserve to know that in advance so you can deliver on those expectations.
3. What does success look like? Will you be expected to just come up with pant loads of wild and crazy ideas? Or are they hoping to have three perfectly formed and evolved ideas by brainstorm end? Or something in the middle? Establishing this up front will help you look at the time allotment realistically and perhaps even give you a heads up that some pre-work might be advisable. Or if you want to deliver a reality check, you might point out that success, under the suggested circumstance, ain’t too likely and that more time might be needed. After all, if you’re going to participate, you deserve the opportunity to get the job done properly!
Three Presentation Skills I Learned From Being a TV Host
Posted by Leslie Ehm in General, Presentation. One comment, leave your own
Before I worked in the ad biz, I was among other things, a TV host. I got this gig by pitching some development ideas to a TV company. Watching me do my thing, the president suddenly commented; “You know, you should be on camera.” And thus my TV career was born. But for however slick I might have been at ‘pitching’, I was in no way prepared for the challenges to come. Being on camera, especially live TV or multi-camera shoots, is still today the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But boy oh boy, were my learnings ever valuable for being an ad creative faced with regular client presentations. So here are three things that I learned from those years that turbo charged my ad career – and helped to make me a really good trainer.
1. Compartmentalizing is key. My first shooting day ever was for my talk show pilot. It was a three camera shoot, I had a panel of guests and an audience to interact with. With newly fitted earpiece, I was privy to constant camera directions, my producer asking me questions and the director orchestrating it all. I thought my head was going to explode. I was scared, overwhelmed and everything my producer said to me kept bypassing my brain filters and slipping out of my mouth. It took hours and hours to shoot. But over time, I learned the most vital skill any presenter can have – to compartmentalize my brain. What this meant was I was able to stop listening to the noise in my ear when I needed to talk, could tap into it when I needed direction, and could focus on my environment when I needed to get my bearings. How did I do it? Consciousness and practice. I HAD to do it. My career depended on it. And guess what – so does yours. Here’s my tip; when you’re in front of an audience, try to consciously move in and out of your head. Check in with yourself. Ask how you’re doing. Watch your audience for feedback. Be in the moment. Actively control the discussion by making choices as opposed to being reactive. This will literally help you build your brain muscles so that you can move things around at will. Trust me, it works.
2. The room speaks. All you have to do is listen. Everything you need to know is in the face of your audience. There’s was nothing that sucked more than seeing my audience start to drift off or worse, working straight to camera and knowing in my heart that people at home were switching channels as I spoke. I learned that if you don’t feel like they’re with you, they’re probably not. If you don’t think they’re getting it, they’re probably not. If they look frustrated, disengaged, bored, or skeptical, they probably are. So while you learn to be a master audience reader, don’t be afraid to ask them. There’s no shame in questions like “Does this make sense?” or “Is this resonating with you?”. Better yet, be self-deprecating. Own the room vibe. Try admitting “I don’t think I’m explaining this very well” or “OK, you’re looking bored. My bad. I think its time for my Ethel Merman impression.” (That one always works for me – but I really do a badass impression.). You get the idea.
3. Love the people. Try telling a TV audience they should give a shit about how you’re feeling. HA. All they want is for you to give them your soul. And even then, they may still not dig you. C’est la vie. The learning? Never ever go into a room with an oppositional head space, even if the client has beaten you up 12 times previously. Keep your energy optimistic and open. Tell yourself you will literally LOVE them into agreeing with what you’re presenting. Focus hard from start to finish. Remember, this presentation is not a rehearsal. Its all you get so give it your all. Your audience will feel you and likely be more open in return. This, I believe, is the foundation of trust building. It doesn’t mean you have to suck up or be a doormat, simply get into the emotional loop with them, see their perspective and genuinely try to get to the best place for everyone. Let your ego take a back seat and lead with your heart.
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Discussion
- Tamara
Great article, Leslie! I’m often on camera for short stints and always looking to improve my delivery. Great points, I will definitely keep... 61 days 12 hours ago
- Leshanne Pretty
Very down-to-earth and realistic advice. Understanding digital should be a collaborative effort within agencies to track cultural... 303 days 12 hours ago
- Leslie Ehm
Thanks for chipping in Leslie! Totally agree. And in this case, putting the needs of the consumer first isn’t a nice to have, its a... 305 days 14 hours ago
Clients say...
“Leslie is absolutely one of the game-changers. Her expertise and understanding of the creative process is top notch, but the even greater value is in passion and creativity she will ignite in your people and the impact it will have on your organization.” - Mark Ferrier, President, TraffikGroup
"The 2-day session that Leslie delivered to the Pepsico marketing department was one of the best training sessions I've been part of. The content was mind-opening, practical, and useful, and Leslie's ability to engage the crowd was second-to-none. Feedback from the other attendees was off the charts. I would work with Leslie again in a heartbeat.” - Logan Chambers, Marketing Manager – Quaker Bars, Pepsico
“Leslie has reinvigorated one of our existing workshops and transformed it from a good mid-level experience to, as one participant stated, a “mastery level course”. Moreover, her dynamic and enthusiastic teaching style has made her one of our top rated instructors.” - Mark Liebert, Senior Director, Association of National Advertisers (ANA) School of Marketing
“I don't know how Leslie does it, but I've seen the results. Our people are more confident, better presenters and better at selling the work. I have to admit, like all Creatives, I was skeptical about a presentation training course that would be right for Creatives. But Leslie really gets it.” - Judy John, CEO, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett
"Leslie Ehm is amazing, seriously impactful and a huge asset to anyone who comes into contact with her. We are happy to call her a partner." - John Minty, CFO, Venables Bell & Partners
"Leslie Ehm is the marketing industry's best kept secret. Her enthusiastic, yet powerful approach and unique ability to motivate professionals to understand that the client/agency dynamic is most successful when viewed as a partnership is invaluable to anyone who wants to take their business to the next level. Her highly effective and inspiring workshop will have your entire team ready, and willing, to move mountains." - Nancy Modrcin, Mattel Canada
"It made all the difference for a successful learning event to have Leslie Ehm’s massive enthusiasm combined with her keen and personally relevant insight into our industry." - Karen Tilley, SVP, Dir. Account Management, Leo Burnett
"The only way to describe Leslie is "dynamite!" She gets participants to truly look into their core, push themselves, take risks, and do it all in front of a crowd. And then she leaves them with the sense that "I can do anything!”. People like Leslie are a rare breed." - Trina Boos, founder, Ad Lounge, and President, Boost Agents
"Leslie Ehm doesn’t just ‘get it’ – she’s actually done it. And she brings all of her experience, passion and smart teaching to every workshop. My team didn’t want the sessions to end!" - Ron Tite, Creative Director, Sharpe Blackmore
"Leslie Ehm has been a fantastic addition to our learning and development programming. She has a natural gift of being able to take an accurate pulse of your organization, where it is and where you are trying to take it. Beyond delivering very thoughtful off-the-shelf programs that really get to the heart of key issues, Leslie is consistently insightful and innovative in providing suggestions and solutions for how she can partner on customized programming and follow-up that really can change the game." - Ellen Nearman, Director, Talent, Organic Inc.
"We thought we were pretty good at both the creative process and presenting our ideas. That was until we invited Leslie Ehm into our agency. Her training and approach is being embraced throughout the agency, resulting in even better work. I highly recommend her." - Tony Chapman, CEO, Capital C
"Idea Noise was fantastic and thought provoking." - Joe Rand, Director of Marketing, Disney Cruise Lines
"Stand & Deliver was one of those experiences that make an indelible impact. The skill with which Leslie Ehm addressed each person and created individualized development strategies was impressive. The transformation was evident in the room and in the way we now think and interact as a team." - Larry MacEachern, Sr. VP, Managing Partner, Color
“I was stunned by the amount of learning, value and the effectiveness of Leslie’s training. She is such a pro, personally invested into every conversation: advising, teaching, providing input, making sure it all sinks in. It's intense, powerful, eye-opening and you can expect to apply it to your job the next day.” - Gene Jigota, Owner & Principal Consultant, TSBC Consulting Inc.
"I walked away with a tangible and effective system for idea generation. It's gold - a formula that can transform anyone into an 'idea alchemist'." - Lindsey Leese, Director, Second City
“We used Three Training for a client training program and Leslie Ehm was fantastic. She is knowledgeable, engaging and creative in her approach. Leslie is right - good things do come in Three." - Tom Hendrikson, Chief Breakthrough Officer, Sixsense Inc.
"There is a lot of training out there, but not much that focuses specifically on creative challenges. Leslie Ehm gets it. She speaks from years of experience and can offer valuable relevant feedback. She has helped reignite the team’s creative spark and I look forward to re-engaging her in the future." - Joel Trojanowski, Creative Director, Armstrong Partnership
"Leslie is an inspiring instructor - she puts her head and heart into really understanding what will make the biggest difference with students and then she puts everything she's got into crafting a learning experience that delivers beyond expectations. As program director at ICA I've worked with a lot of instructional consultants, and Leslie is a top professional from start to finish." - Suzanne Filiatrault Director of Professional Development, Institute of Communication Agencies
"Leslie Ehm creates and customizes a training regimen that speaks to every individual involved, and from several different perspectives. In a matter of seconds, she is able to formulate the lay of the land, immediately analyze and identify with the group she is training and deliver exactly the program necessary." - Linda Cunningham, VP, Green Apple Children’s Centre Inc.
"When my creative team was stuck for the next big yummy idea, we went to Leslie and Three Training for ideation facilitation and came away with tons of delicious ones. My only issue is that she still won’t give me a family discount!" - Erica Ehm, CEO, publisher YummyMummyClub.ca
"All too often the feedback after a training session is muted and minimal, but in this case it was energized and uniformly positive! More importantly, our staff have begun using the techniques with great success…I can confidently say that our agency could not have put our training dollars to better use and that we will be working with Leslie Ehm again in the near future." - Jeff Plotnikoff, Director, Human Resources, Armstrong Partnership