Project Presence: Using video in you communication strategy yields better messages

Key takeaway: Video is a powerful tool to refine your message before delivery

Learn more about Project Presence: Project Presence overview

Video link: http://vimeo.com/55392221

Transcript:

Welcome leaders. One of the unexpected benefits of doing these leadership videos has been the impact on the quality of my messaging. I truly believe that a big part of leadership is about telling stories, about setting the stage for your team, about providing the context, and preparing them to succeed against whatever challenges the team faces -- be they competitive challenges or something else. Those stories, at least in my case, never pour out perfectly the first time. By using video I can develop those messages,  those stories, before I take them out to my team.

I usually come to stand in front of the camera with the topic in mind and a few bullet points. I no longer write scripts -- it simply doesn't work. I stand in front of the camera, I usually take a few takes, by the time I've done a few I have my message, or my story, to a quality I'm willing with you, or when I'm doing a leadership video, a quality I'm willing to share with my team.

For important messages, for the really critical messages, I take the results of my videos and I share the video or share the story in person, further refine, and then come back and reshoot that video. [This process assures] that I have all my points down very well.

It turns out this [process] is a very important tool to improve the quality of those messages before you share them with your team. Rather than standing up in front of them at a meeting with 30 or 40 people in front of you you've actually run through your narrative ahead of time. [Doing so] in a fairly critical mode. No one is going to be as critical of your performance as you are and you get to see your performance by using the video tool.

As always I'd love to hear about the challenges and successes of your Project Presence.