Posts in Meandering Genius

Nobody’s watching your videos!

Blogging Business Coaching Meandering Genius Start-up Saturday Strategic Communication Tips

If you think your videos are being watched … You’re wrong!

I did some analysis on Video Performance on Facebook. Business Pages on Facebook provide a great deal of data on their Insights tab.

Below are the deeper insights of just one video post, viewed by over 250 people. However, I researched several videos from multiple Business Pages and the trend was the same.

Guess what…

The average time someone spends watching your video is between 5 and 8 seconds! You heard me right — SECONDS!

You lose close 50% of your audience a measly 3 seconds into your video!

Are you trying to get your videos below 3 minutes? Try harder! If you’re over 30 seconds, you’re too long!!!

This was very enlightening for me … is it enlightening for you?

In the comments, leave your thoughts and discussion on how we possibly deal with this short attention span trend.

Crosscutter Enterprises
www.crossctr.com

Never Forget

In Your Face Friday Life Meandering Genius Stuff

I didn’t post anything anything yesterday in remembrance if 911…and I’m ashamed. 🙁

One of my connections, Jake Bjorseth, had a profound post this morning about growing up in a world where terrorism is a norm. He was 17 months old when 911 occured.

See, as a 21-year veteran, I was deeply involved. I’ve seen the impact and lost friends to 911, the bombing of the USS Cole and Khobar Towers. Even more in Desert Storm I and II and the many wars fought since then.

I was stationed in Germany on 911. A Public Affairs officer from down the hall ran into our office and told us to get down to their office immediately. We walked in as the second plane hit the towers.

Once we realized it was real, the base–all bases across the world were mobilized. The United States was under attack on U.S. soil!

I was to fly to DC the next day, but all flights were grounded and I didnt fly out until the 21st.

I remember the patriotism felt across the nation and the support from the world.

Being someone deeply impacted and who painfully remembers the impact of 911, it is my responsibility to make sure you understand and never forget.

I’m sorry I let you down. Lest We Forget!

#success #incubator #business #coaching #consultants
Crosscutter Enterprises
www.crossctr.com

It’s time to smile

Leadership Life Meandering Genius Speaking Stuff Thoughtful Thursday Tips

What’s in a smile? 🙁❓🙂

I never smiled!

In 1988, I entered the Air Force and spent the first 10 years of my 21 as a cop. 👮‍♂️

For about five years, I was unapproachable. There I would be, at an event, crossed arms, dark eyebrows, and a “Don’t you dare talk to me,” look on my face. I never smiled.

In fact, I had taken the Myers-Briggs Type Assessment several times and always came out as a strong Introvert.

I noticed that no one ever talked to me, but could see others that were always approached by others — the life of the party, so to speak.

I made a bold move…I started to smile.

The effect was almost immediate. Not only was I approachable, but now I test as a strong Extrovert.

Do you smile? Are you approachable? Try it…

www.crossctr.com

Are people wasting your time?

Business Coaching Business Consulting Life Meandering Genius Performance Measurement Speaking Take A Leap Wednesday Tips

What do you do if a speaker goes over their allotted time? ⏲

How valuable is your time? What do you think about people that abuse it? What if they’re a speaker/presenter?

In my mind, one sign of a professional speaker is that they stick to their time window, even if that window changes at the last minute.

Those that can’t, in my mind, are unprofessional.

Last night, I attended a monthly meeting with a professional association. Every meeting has a keynote speaker and this one was no different. Normally, the speakers keep to their time — last night was different.

The meeting ends at 8 pm, which means the speaker should finish by 7:45 or so for questions and close out.

At 7:58, the speaker looked at his watch (was about halfway through his presentation), and said, “I’ll hurry up and finish up, since I’m out of time.” He finished and asked for questions at 8:30 pm!

For me, I lost interest in his subject at about 7:50 pm and I stopped listening altogether when he realized he was taking too long and refused to care. The way I look at it, he felt his material was more important than the time of the 60 or so people in the audience.

What are your thoughts?

Crosscutter Enterprises
www.crossctr.com

Distracted Much?

Business Coaching Business Consulting Life Meandering Genius Performance Measurement Start-up Saturday Stuff

🤦‍♂️ Do you get easily distracted from work? 🐶🐱

Our new kitten likes someone to be in the room when it eats. Otherwise, it wants to be wherever you are playing. It’ll get back to the food, eventually, but by that time, the Cleaning Service (aka dogs) will have taken care of the issue.

So, I locked our kitten in the bathroom with me as I got ready for the day. However, distractions loom around every corner for this little kitten. Not sure if the dog wants to play with the cat, be with me, or clean up the leftovers, but both of us became distracted!

Are you easily distracted from the task at hand?

What distracts you? Phone calls? Text messages? Emails? The kitten walking on your keyboard? 🐈

www.crossctr.com

Steps to Writing & Publishing a Book

Blogging Books Business Coaching Business Consulting Meandering Genius Publishing Speaking Stuff Success Sunday Tips

Interested in writing & publishing a book? Don’t know where or how to get started?

Successfully writing & publishing is much like starting a new business. The steps are essentially the same and having a plan & a coach really helps.

Many people think that publishing is expensive and difficult, but you can publish for very little money. It does require a lot if work to do it right. Here are my suggested 13 high-level steps to get you there:

1. Define your Purpose for writing.
2. Assess if you are ready to write & what you can write about.
3. Define the Audience.
4. Determine how you plan on writing your book (ways to get it written).
5. Ideation, research, brainstorming, and testing.
6. Outline.
7. Draft – edit – draft – edit – draft – edit – final draft.
8. Publishing determinations.
9. Cover design (and illustrations if required).
10. Draft reviewers and Foreword.
11. Pre-release marketing.
12. Format, Publish, and Release.
13. Post-release marketing.

If you are interested in writing & would like help, let me know.
Crosscutter Enterprises

Forbes Expert Panel — Diversity

Business Coaching Business Consulting Forbes Coaches Council Leadership Meandering Genius Organizational Commitment Start-up Saturday

Seven Ways Leaders Can Encourage Diversity In The Workplace

❓ How is Diversity best defined?

❓ What are the benefits?

For a business to be able to have a diverse workplace, companies must address these questions and more.

I’m proud to be featured again on Forbes through the Forbes Coaches Council! Twice in one week — I must be doing something right?!?

I provided the sixth method: Be Constant And Consistent With Education!

Diversity—and inclusion, because you can have a diverse work center and not include everyone—starts with solid, constant and consistent education. This is not one training class and an annual refresher online. This is purposeful diversity and inclusion leadership growth—it should start before the individual becomes a leader and they should grow and build over time. – John Knotts, Crosscutter Enterprises

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/06/28/seven-ways-leaders-can-encourage-diversity-in-the-workplace/#65c4d8f13d59

Share Your Toxic Examples

Business Coaching Business Consulting Leadership Meandering Genius Overcoming Organizational Myopia Start-up Saturday Strategic Planning Stuff

We’ve been discussing toxic leadership and cultures this week. The military is not immune to this environment — in fact, it can be the worst.

During one of my assignments in the Air Force, I worked as a flight sergeant with a hand-picked unit. There was one senior NCO and one officer that oversaw the unit — we were lean and mean.

The officer was absent, simply put. He was more focused on school and getting ahead, so he was never seen — never interacted with the unit personnel.

Thus, the SNCO, ran everything. Everyone called him The Dragon. This guy invented “toxic.” His goal was to break down each NCO in the unit to the point where they would in turn break down everyone that worked for them.

He ran everything like a cult. He referred to people as “in his camp” or “not.” He would hold “camp” meetings at a bar off base (so he could get drunk and not busted) and he would give his sermons over whiskey and beer chasers.

The stories I could tell about The Dragon. See, in the military, you can’t quit your job to get away from a toxic culture. You just have to endure.

This needs to be solved … this toxicity needs to be eradicated from business and out life!

What toxic examples do you have?

Reset Your Funk!

Business Coaching Business Consulting Change Management Innovation Meandering Genius Organizational Commitment Overcoming Organizational Myopia Performance Measurement Stuff Take A Leap Wednesday

Ever have one of those days where you feel in a funk and, regardless of what you’ve got done, you feel like you haven’t accomplished anything?

You don’t want to carry that feeling and funk into tomorrow.

How you you hit the reset button and start out a new day with a positive outlook on the rest of the week?