Think about all of the ways that you receive new information in the course of a single day.  You read books.  You watch television.  You stumble-upon new internet insights.  You get IMs from your friends and associates.  You attend conferences.  You listen to radio.  You play audio tapes.  (Maybe I’m the only one who still has a tape player in my car. But at least it’s not an 8-track.)  You have a steady stream of e-mails.  The e-mails send you to links.  You receive bills and letters in the mail.  You join conference calls.  You watch YouTube videos.   You might even meditate. ( That means you have to add the voice of your inner being to all the others. )

What is your favorite source? 

I really like to learn from books.  I enjoy their concrete nature and their portability.  I like the artwork that is on the cover.  I am captivated by the perfect font with or without serifs depending on the subject.   And I like a book’s predictable system of organization.  Add to that the fact that they are always available; I can always return to the right spot and resume learning.   I can go as fast or as slow as I want and I can move forward or backwards at will.   Books never interrupt me when I am pursuing other activities.  I like the feel of the pages, their clear indication of progress made and how far I have left to go. When I am stuck, there is always a book available with a quote or idea that gets me going.   I even have a book called The Book of Answers which at times has been amazingly helpful. 

Think about capturing the magic of your favorite form in your next presentation.   

I might think about how best to incorporate the elements of a good book into my next presentation before the sales team. Maybe I could hand out booklets that support my message.  Maybe I can improve the organization of my material.  Maybe I should change the fonts and cover for maximum effect.  

What will you do differently?

Have you ever been stuck sitting next to someone who was excitedly sharing a stack of photos of people you have never met? They rattle off one name after another with no context and nothing interesting to say about any of them.  It might be me, but I don't really like seeing pictures of people and would much prefer to look at buildings, objects, scenery, flowers, dogs, birds on a rock, pretty much anything else.  Now babies and relatives in unflattering poses are clearly an exception to that rule.

On the other hand, I have been shown a stack of pictures of people I didn't know but was told an interesting twist about something that happened off camera between that person and the person sharing their photos, or was able to observe a facial expression that made it interesting, or there was some connection in the photos to something I cared about.  Those photos were interesting, not boring.

I don't think any subject is iinherently boring or interesting .  It's the context in which the subject is shared.  I mean think about it.  Even the most exciting picture of athletes skiing downhill can get boring if you see enough of them.  Imagine watching a two hour clip of just Pamela Anderson running down that Bay Watch beach, over and over.  I venture to guess that even that would get boring eventually.  And if I don't care about the type of Civil War buttons worn by all of the generals but one, that topic is not going to hold my attention.  But I guarantee I can find someone who is going to be riveted to that button  special when it airs on the history channel.  (No riveting puns intended.)

What this means is that the person sharing the topic (or the photos) is in a position of great power and is determining whether that topic will henceforth be deemed noteworthy or lackluster in the eyes of their listener.  Use that power carefully.

Or at least interesting and athletic.  It is not often that you see the words "Accountant", "Olympic" and "Hopeful" in the same sentence but today is a historic day thanks to one Atlanta CPA firm and their employee, Haley Chura.

http://www.webcpa.com/article.cfm?ARTICLEID=28356

This article is proof that accounting firms have evolved. Haley is going to be swimming in the Olympic trials on July 4th.   Bennett Thrasher has supported and inspired a team member to try out for the Olympics. What's more, she could find the time to train for a marathon, and keep up with her swimming while maintaining her job.  And the clients are all supporting her.

Imagine how this article makes the firm stand out in the eyes of their clients?  You know you are going to like working with people who strive to be the best.  

Haley, we are all counting on you to prove that accountants can not only look good in swim wear, they can also aspire to greatness.

... when a great comedian dies? 

Plenty of comedians attended his services last Sunday but it appears that only George Carlin himself was good enough to do the honors.  His service included clips of his performances over the years.  Now that's a tribute.  http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_9741847

George was one of my earliest favorite comedians.  My sister was somehow allowed to get his seven dirty word album when we were children and even our Mom laughed.  He had such a unique perspective and since we shared a Catholic upbringing, he felt like a relative (with long hair.)  His hippy dippy weatherman routines on Laugh-In still stand out in my mind - he was a smart comedian.  

It has been a sad month - we lost both George Carlin and Tim Russert.  Two famous people that felt like family.  They were both authentic and real and knew how to make a connection with any audience and both shared their unique view of their respective worlds with us.