There was an interesting discussion over dinner about what is the one thing you know would make a significant difference to your business if you did it superbly well. A key topic on our table was marketing. This was about getting the right words in marketing material, targeting your customers or just making those calls.

If we know what we should be doing and have the skills to do it, what stops us doing it? As Henry Ford said; ‘If you think you can or you think you can’t, you’ll be absolutely right’.

Self limiting beliefs affect our self talk and therefore our performance. As children we may have believed in Santa Claus (those that still do, read no further!), but as we grew up the evidence may have changed our belief. How many other beliefs from childhood do you still carry, even though the evidence no longer holds true? An example was given by two people, who still believed they were ‘stupid’, because important people had told them  that when they were young.

Fears hold us back from moving forward. This may be fear of failure, rejection, making mistakes or even success. Fear can be described as false evidence appearing real. One brave person admitted that she feared delegation, and realised that she needed to trust her staff more.

Having a positive ‘can do’ attitude enhances the likelihood of success. I call this the Bob the Builder syndrome. How often do you say ‘yes I can do that’ and then rise to the challenge of actually making it happen?

The actor Christopher Reeve said ‘Our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, but then when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable’.

What can you do that will make success inevitable for you in 2010?

The Illyria Thetare Company provided an alfresco version of the play and did it brilliantly. With only five actors for twenty one parts, plus selling programmes, stage prop moving and organisation of the event, they worked with boundless energy and impeccable timing. The comedy was amazing and with the broken walls and white doves behind them, it gave a great feel to it all. Afterwards, it gave me thoughts of team work and presentation skills.

You can say it is just acting, but this is their job, their business, and if you could recreate what they did, imagine what your business could achieve.

The first thing that stood out for me was their energy and fun. This is with a nationwide tour, going from Liskeard one day to Berwick on Tweed the next. They were so happy, and this made the audience enjoy the experience more. In this time of hard conditions, I see so many miserable faces in shops and businesses, which does nothing to draw customers in or to come back for more.

The second aspect was the teamwork. They could not have achieved what they did in the time, the costume changes, scenery moves and delivery, without working as a cohesive team. They knew each other’s cues and limitations. Again, this is vastly important in the business world. In hard times, we can retrench and look after our own, but for the business it is about looking after each other, pulling out the stops and working to each other’s strengths.

Thirdly was their dedication to learn their lines and deliver them with passion, creativity and without a PA system. This showed great skills, which can make a performance memorable. How passionately do you sell your business to customers? How clear, creative and well rehearsed is the message you want to deliver?

Finally, it was their time management. Comedy relies so much on timing. This comes with practice. How good is your time management? However good your product, message and service is, if not delivered on time, it will not have the desired results.

The play tells how love conquers all and you can live the impossible dream. I believe the moral for business is love what you do and hold firm to your vision. Thanks again Laura and the Illyria Company. Visit www.illyria.uk.com for their programme

As we have been communicating since birth, you would think it would be easy to get it right. It’s just common sense. The problem with common sense is that it is not that common! Problems tend to arise because emotions, knee jerk reactions, irrational thinking, time, and limiting beliefs tend to get in the way. Most of the problems in the workplace tend to stem from poor communication at some level.

One would think in this technological age, with the ability to communicate in so many ways and at high speed, that we should be able to get the message across. This does not seem to be the case. In fact, it can make it worse. Too much reliance on the written word can lead to misunderstanding, and involve too many people in the issue.

The power of communication has been demonstrated over the years. We can inspire, create change, enlighten; or we can hurt, cause conflict, confuse, bully or demotivate. Do we give enough thought to our everyday conversations at work?

Here are 10 tips to improve verbal communication

1. Treat communication as a game of tennis, not a game of golf. Share the air time. Let the other person have their say and don’t monopolise or interrupt. Give them space to finish what they are saying.

2. Remember you have two ears and one mouth, so use them in that proportion. Listen more than you speak. Listening is a great gift to people. Check your listening skills. There is a big difference between actively listening, when you engage your mind, focus, body, eyes and empathy, and passive listening when you just use your ears ( if you’re lucky!) Stop what you are doing and give the person your full attention. Listen for what is not being said.

3. Be open and honest in what you say. If you are not, your body language may well give you away. Build trust

4. Have something worthwhile to say. Ask yourself, is it kind, is it fair, does it improve on the silence? On the other hand, don’t bottle it up, if something needs saying. Unsaid things can build a brick at a time into a wall between you and the other person in the relationship.

5. Learn to express yourself well. It is not just what you say, but how you say it. Tone of voice can change the meaning entirely. Speak with emotional impact, as the heart has to hear, before the head can listen.

6. Never assume understanding. Take responsibility to ensure understanding both for yourself and the other person. This is where so many issues arise. ‘Oh, I thought you meant……’

7. If you have an issue with someone, speak to the person directly, especially if it is a sensitive issue. Don’t talk to others first or gossip. Avoid emails, text, and involving more than the people directly concerned.

8. Adjust your style of communication to match the other person. This is a great way to build rapport and show respect. It is not about saying it how you like to say it, but saying it how they need to hear it.

9. Choose your response carefully. Think about the outcome you are looking for. Will what you have to say and the way you intend to say it, gain you that response? Avoid the knee jerk reaction. We often live to regret it, and once the words have left our lips, it is impossible to take them back for editing.

10. Get in the right assertive mindset. Be open minded, respectful and non-judgemental. Leave your ‘baggage’ at the door. Aim to reach an outcome that meets mutual needs.

Communication is a wonderful and very powerful tool that can be used to great effect. It takes time and effort, but the rewards are incredible when you do.

How much time do you set aside to think? Are you so busy in the business that you cannot stop to work on the business? I spoke at the Ferndown Networking Event last night, and we had thirty two people there. We used random word thinking on a real issue. Despite only two people having used the technique before, in less than 10 minutes we had generated over 46 ideas on the issue of how to change negative perceptions of Ferndown to positive ones. Obviously, not all the ideas are workable, but it has given Ferndown Chamber of Commerce plenty to work on!

It made me realise how easily ideas can be lost. New ideas are like bubbles blown from a child’s toy – fragile and easily broken. If they are judged and criticised too early, they can ‘pop’, along with the likelihood of any further creativity. It is important, when having a creative session, to harvest and write down the ideas before going to judgement and decision making. If they cannot be used for this problem, they may help for a future one.

‘If the idea is not absurd at first, there is probably no hope for it’ Albert Einstein

Ideas should not be judged before they have been explored and developed. Some of the truly creative ideas come from those that seem the most absurd.

Open your mind and find the child within you, and get creative.