GLARE OF THE SPOTLIGHT, Part 1 - Michael Jackson's Misguided Focus

Boy, it's been all tough news since my last post. I don't mean the steady stream of celebrity deaths, such as Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. While I mourn all of these good souls, I have been taken by the parade of poseurs who were exposed in the unforgiving incandescence of media scrutiny: yes, I am thinking of Michael Jackson, but also Mark Sanford, and John and Kate Gosselin.
Michael Jackson once had it all. That was most evident in the outpouring of tributes that came when he died way past his prime. In his day, he was dazzling and truly unbelievable. I went into my basement and found a long-lost treasure: a VHS recording of NBC's 25th anniversary celebration of Motown, which aired in 1982. I fast-forwarded to Mr. Jackson first set with his scene-stealing performance with his brothers, The Jackson 5. Then, after shooing his siblings off-stage, he delivered his electrifying rendition of "Billie Jean." This was the night he introduced the moonwalk, and live musical performance was never quite the same. Adding to James Brown's legacy, Jackson showed that clothes,dancing and stagecraft could all add to a musical showcase. Singing melody and lyrics was no longer enough.

But this all started to fall apart for him after five short years. His next album, "Bad," sold a puny seven million (!) copies compared to the stratospheric "Thriller." Mr. Jackson was already drawing unfavorable comparisons to, of all people, himself. His music wasn't as strong, critics and fans said. His title video also portended a new problem. His appearance was becoming stranger, as he was morphing into either Diana Ross or sister Janet, depending on your interpretation.

Furthermore, he was developing a messianic image. In his "Beat It" video from "Thriller," Mr. Jackson amusingly sang of the wisdom of running from a fight. In "Bad," he was more the hero, simultaneously striking a prominent, godlike pose while sporting a more feminine appearance. This portrayal would grow inversely to the power and relevance of his music, as poorly selling albums sported cover art of Mr. Jackson as though he were the Colossus of Rhodes.

As time went on, he grew more sad than "bad." As his look became more bizarre, so did his behavior. Building an amusement park. Collecting odd artifacts, such as the skeleton of John Merrick, "the Elephant Man." Sporting a pet monkey. Over time, he was known more for his mannerisms and his self-mutilation than for his music.

The events of the past week show that Mr. Jackson could have maintained his career even without producing new music if he had only managed his public image more carefully. I listened to his songs on the radio over the last few days (I couldn't HELP but hear it!), and largely, I found them to be electrifying, brilliant, unique and more diversified than I had remembered. "Rock With You" was danceable, the "Thriller" single was fun, "The Way You Make Me Feel," was sexy, but "The Man in the Mirror" was passionately inspiring. There are some artists who offer such a wide range of output, but not so many. Mr. Jackson was a major artist.

If only he had emphasized that. If only he had performed his classic music more often than he presented a grotesque persona to the public. Perhaps his public image would have been more positive and kinder to this gentle soul.

As the cliche goes, perception is reality. We must remember this as we shape our public images. Companies need to be known as valued members of a community, not merely as polluters or the shedders and shredders of jobs. Products need to offer utility and value, not expense or a lack of safety. And we as individuals need to be known at least a bit more for our contributions and not our eccentricities. Michael Jackson and the people around him lost sight of that, and in that process, the public lost sight of his true value.

NEXT UP: Mark Sanford Talks the Talk, but Walks the Walk to Argentina

The Singular Mr. Ziglar -- An Appreciation

Zig Ziglar

I went to see Zig Ziglar yesterday in Philadelphia. I attended a "Get Motivated" seminar, which featured a number of famous speakers, including Steve Forbes, Rudy Giuliani, Collin Powell, and even home-boys Charlie Manuel and Cole Hamels of the Phillies and Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles. But even with this impressive lineup, I attended mostly to see Mr. Ziglar.
To those of us in professional speaking, Zig Ziglar is a giant. He is what Walt Disney is to animation, William Paley is to broadcasting, and Henry Ford is to autos. He almost singlehandedly made speaking and motivation an industry. At 82, the man is truly a legend.
When the emcee introduced Mr. Ziglar, you could see that he is still handsome, dapper as always in his suite and bow tie. I was surprised to see stagehands set up two chairs. I was surprised further when his daughter began speaking on his behalf. (Apparently, in deference to Mr. Ziglar, she never introduced herself, keeping the focus on him.) She went on to explain that due to a fall a few months ago, he has "positional vertigo," meaning that he was unsteady. He is also suffering from short-term memory loss, so he would not give a presentation with the energy and precision we all expect from him. But, she emphasized, he wants to be transparent about these changes as he continues to present his current message, appropriately titled "Embrace the Struggle." So she guided her father through an interview.
He opened by saying that he was the tenth of 12 children, and that he was a better student OUT of school than he was while he was IN school. He still reads three hours each day. He says that he reads the Bible and the newspaper everyday "because we need to know what both sides are up to" -- a comment received with warm and appreciative applause. He also proclaimed his love for America, "the greatest country that ever was," and noted the military people who were in the audience.

____________________________________________

Zig Ziglar remains true to his words,
and he delivered them yesterday with
an innate sincerity.

____________________________________________

Yet, an uncomfortable side to Mr. Ziglar's health surfaced, as he began to repeat himself enthusiastically. He went on to praise life in America four more times, with an enthusiasm and sincerity that emphasized his obliviousness to his redundancy. He talked about the importance of "home court advantage," and how he continues to court "that redhead of mine" (i.e., his wife of 62 years), and told that story three or four more times. He repeated that he was the tenth of 12 children. He praised the military in the audience a few more times. His daughter would firmly and respectfully remind him that, yes, he had covered that, and moved him to the next topic.
His presentation was augmented with video of past performances. In those clips, he talked about the relative importance of money. Yes, money could buy him a big house, but it couldn't buy him a home. It could buy him a companion, but not a friend. A bed, but not a good night's sleep.
Another clip covered his praise of religion, an ongoing theme over his career (he has always been, unabashedly, a Christian). In the video, he asserted, with some vague attribution, that people who "go to church regularly" have less depression, higher incomes and better sex.
While Mr. Ziglar's frailty could have been depressing, an affirmation of the man emerged from it. In his vulnerable time on the stage, he never lost his dignity. His daughter and the audience were always respectful. He was never chided nor derided in any way.
Most important, he was always on message, intuitively and reflexively. In my years in healthcare, I have learned from geriatric physicians that as you age, you become more like your true self. (For example, as Ronald Reagan descended into Alzheimer's disease, he reportedly remained pleasant and affable, even when he didn't know the people around him.) If that is true, then Zig Ziglar remains true to his words, and he delivered them yesterday with an innate sincerity: Goals are important; a purposeful life is the one worth living. You can get whatever you want when you give enough people what THEY want. That is is your attitude, more than your aptitude, that will determine you altitude. And gratitude is "the healthiest of all human emotions."
And so while I can't claim to have seen Zig Ziglar in his prime, at least that Zig is available to me through recordings of all sorts. I can say that I saw him truly, without pretense or adornment. It is apparent that he meant every word he has ever said, and he repeats them still for any audience lucky enough to hear them.
Thanks, Zig. There's never been anyone quite like you. Enjoy your time with your audiences. And as you have often said, I will see you at the top.

Kobe Shoots... and a Year Later, He Scores!

Kobe Bryant and Los Angeles Lakers were humiliated a year ago by the Boston Celtics, and he vowed to come back from that devastating loss. He came back, and he came up BIG when he led his team to a 15th NBA Championship last night in Orlando. He was a man possessed. His eyes, his mouth, said it all. He was focused, and as he drove to the basket, he was driven. And he was committed to driving out the claim that he couldn't win a championship without his former team mate Shaquille O'Neal.
And so after he was banished to also-ran status by Boston last June with a 39-point delta, he determined to return. After helping the American "Redeem Team" win an Olympic gold medal in China last summer, he declared, "My next goal is winning the NBA championship."

So the win is just part of the story. Kobe's fulfillment of his goal to reach the NBA finals again is just as significant. As I have written over the last year, Kobe succeeded in classic fashion. He prepared for this championship through proactive preparation, working with coach Phil Jackson to continually improve his individual play and his team play. He constructed the plan and executed it superbly, step by step, finally reaching his specific goal.

For those who think that their goals are too far in the future or simply unattainable, I point to Kobe Bryant as an example of picking his goal and pursuing it relentlessly. And the city of Los Angeles celebrates with him.

Kudos to Broadcasters; Let's Learn from Them!

Hey, did you notice that today is the FCC-dictated switch from analog TV to digital? You didn't? If not, you can't blame the major broadcasters. They bent over backwards for YEARS to make sure that viewers knew that their older sets wouldn't receive the new digital signals. (By the way, this is to open parts of the electromagnetic spectrum for emergency use -- a good thing.) Look at what they did:

• Announced the coming switchover as public service announcements so that no one should have been caught unaware
• Advised viewers of where to get converters
• Conducted tests to help viewers determine if they would be affected by the switchover ("Hey, this is what your picture looks like now."
  "Here is your picture on digital." THROW SWITCH
  "If you can't see me, then you're s.o.l after June 12.")

The broadcasters' efforts are a lesson in good community relations. They stated the problems up front, showed the results, and advised on where to find the solutions. What does your organization do when you face a change that will affect your stakeholders?
Are you proactive? Or reactive?
Do you point to the solutions?
Do you show the consequences of the event in question?

Think about all this whenever you are facing such events as product changes, price increases or layoffs. We should all do as well as the broadcasters just showed us.

SHOUT! It's No Time to Be Immodest

Bill Lampton likes my book, “The Six P’s of Change!”

Bill, who is a Ph.D., is an internationally recognized expert on communication, a broadcaster, teacher, and academic administrator. He has been interviewed in countless publications. Bill reviewed my book on Amazon and said the following:

• “I rate this book highly…”
• “The author's background qualifies him to advise us… [H]e shares what he has recommended to high-level employers.”
• “The writing style surpasses what you will encounter in most business books…”
• “Can you remember another business book that opens with a discussion of a World Series game?”
• “Rocchi is on target in describing this volume as a handbook. Each chapter ends with an ‘Intermission from Your Transition.’ These brief written exercises help the reader transform ideas into action.”
• “As a leader, you will serve your company well by using this valuable handbook as a training guideline for your company's next planning session.”
  

I could go on forever. (Believe me, I'd LOVE to!) And why am I telling you all about this praise I received?
Because I can. And I should. And you can and you should say such things about yourself.
Times are rough. GM went bankrupt earlier today. The country is in a recession, if you haven’t already heard. Jobless claims have decreased, but unemployment is still quite high, the highest we’ve seen it in a long time. If you want to rise above this din, you must make your own noise, and social media are the way to do it.
So when Bill’s sent me word of his wonderfully positive review, I emailed it to friends. And I Twittered it to my procchi tweets with a link. And I put it on LinkedIn and Plaxo. Because I can. And I should. If not, how else would you know? After all, I am the self-proclaimed agent of change. I must live up to this image I’ve created and this philosophy I espouse.
We are the Jetsons, my friends. We are lucky to live in an era when we have the means to broadcast our messages to the world. It wasn't so long ago only broadcast TV could do that, and what were the odds of your being able to buy time there? So we must take advantage of this rare opportunity to push our names not up into the stratospheres but into the upper reaches of search engines.
So shout it from the social media.
Fire away at your targets.
That’s why you’re reading this, and it’s most likely the reason you are writing about yourself. Go ahead, do it. You can, and you should.
And remember that Bill Lampton likes my book!

A Tip to Traveling Speakers

Here's a cautionary tale for you traveling speakers. It starts with my upcoming engagement at the Toastmasters Region VII conference on Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, June 5 and 6. I'm speaking on how to apply your Toastmasters skills to the job. Boy, am I learning a lot about when to make arrangements for a trip! Thank God for my wife, Marie, to save my fat from the fire.
Everything was complicated by the fact that I was competing in TM's International Speech competition. Prior to learning that I was advancing in the competition, I was already booked at the conference. However, if you compete, you can't make a presentation. (It is determined to prejudice the judges if they see you present elsewhere. Makes sense.) So I had to wait to learn if I would win the District competition. If so, I could not speak at the conference.
However, if I lost the District competition, I could make my presentation and sell my book.

I lost. Boo! But the upside to that was that I became free to make my presentation in Moncton. However, I needed to know that I was on the conference agenda before I made my flight arrangements.
Then there was my back trouble.
Then the Memorial Day holiday.
Now it's two weeks before the event, and air fares are through the roof. Marie, being the organized one in the family (we're still figuring out MY contributions!) began making phone calls everywhere she could. Travel agencies! Airlines! Priceline! What flights are available? Could we save money flying out of Newark, NJ rather than Philly? If so, how do I get to Newark.
In the end, Marie figured a complicated calculus involving cashing in my US Airways Frequent Flyer miles to get me to Toronto, stay overnight, then take a puddle jumper to Mocton in the morning. Reverse route, and in the end there are only hundreds of dollars out of my pocket.So my suggestion Fan Club Members, is that when you are planning for a speaking engagement, take the chance and book the travel ahead of time. Even if you cancel, it has to be simpler than the gyrations that Marie went through on my behalf.
Thanks, Sweetheart. I don't know what I'd do without you.

Actually, I probably would stay home a lot.

Win or Lose the Contest? I PICK"WIN!"

Over the weekend, I participated in the International Speech competition of Toastmasters District 38, which covers parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. I had lots of moral support from fellow members throughout the District, and many people let me practice at their clubs, for which I am extremely grateful. In the end, I did not win. I'm okay with that, because the person who did win really deserved it. His speech had a good message on inspiration that he delivered with imagination and energy. He has all my best wishes as he moves to the next round.
I also did not come in second or third, either. That surprised me more than it disappointed or bothered me. My own personal feelings about those speeches were obviously different from the judges', but such is the subjective practice of judging. (Think of ice skating at the Olympics. It's easy for us to identify the fastest and strongest athletes, but judges tell us who the best skaters and gymnasts are.)
I like to compete. Part of my narcissistic side would like to be the World Champion of Public Speaking. However, my attitude about competing has softened over time. I was inspired years ago by previous Toastmaster World Champ Ed Tate, who has a special prayer before every speech: He asks that someone in his audience be affected by the speech that he gives, regardless of the outcome of the competition. I've gotten into the habit of reciting that prayer myself, and it reflects how I feel about this particular speech.
It is about how my wife, Marie, overheard me singing one day and told me that I should pursue it as a hobby. I didn't believe I could sing because I was surrounded by people who told me I couldn't sing. Still, I listened to her. As a result, I sing actively as an avocation, and I have sung at baseball games, on CDs of a cappella music, even at Carnegie Hall.
However, what Marie taught me was to listen to other people and hear their inner hopes as she heard mine. At one point of the speech, I recounted how I showed my appreciation for her by surprising the guests at our 25th anniversary party with the song "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" At that point in the speech, as I sang just one stanza, a palpable sigh went through the audience. I also told them what the words taught me. One woman even nodded in recognition, and I could see her mouthing the lyrics with me
At the end of the contest, once the winners were announced (again, NOT INCLUDING ME! ;-) ), the Toastmasters filed out of the room. One woman who had been Sergeant-at-Arms came to me with mock anger, glared and said, "You almost made me cry!"
"Really," I said. "Was my singing that bad?"
"No, it was when you sang to your wife."
Then a man who had heard me at the previous level of competition and had given me advice met me outside the room. I thanked him for his input. At that point, his eyes glistened, and he said, "Even though I had heard the speech before, it got to me this time." He couldn't explain why. Apparently his advice improved my speech for him.
The district governor came to me and said, "Did you see me crying?" A trend was developing.
Another woman told me she was going to Italy, and wanted to know if I could help her with some phrases. As I jotted down my email for her, she said softly, "You really moved me when you sang for your wife." As I looked up, her eyes were wet, and she could not continue speaking. She dropped the discussion. I touched her face, and I thanked her.

As I got a drink to unwind, I saw the woman who had sung along with me. I sat next to her and thanked her for her visual feedback and support. "Oh, I think that it's important to show a speaker that you are enjoying the speech." And without provocation, she launched into her own story... how she was in an abusive marriage for 14 years... how she feared getting out of it because she wasn't sure how she could support her children... how her husband was a pastor, and no one would have believed was he was doing to her... how she covered the bruises on her face with makeup... the day a woman in her congregation said to her, "My Sister, you are smiling and happy all the time, but your smile is plastic. What's wrong?" And with that, my friend burst into tears to that woman, and on that day she began to find the strength to end the marriage and treat herself righteously.
And she shared that with me because she saw marital love in my speech.

There is an annual poetry contest in Spain that awards three prizes. The third place winner gets a silver rose. The second place winner gets a gold rose. The top prize is an actual rose. I am happy for the people who won on Saturday. My own shelves at home are already filled with trophies. But I'm very happy for what I got at Saturday's competition. My prayer was answered.

What Beauty Pageants Can Learn From Toastmasters

With all the brouhaha about Carrie Prejean, Miss California USA, which started once she answered a judge's question about gay marriage, one point has been conspicuously overlooked: Why should she have been the only contestant to have received that question? That was patently unfair, as that question (coming from a gay judge) was loaded from the start. Nobody really knows how the other contestants would have answered it. Admittedly, I did not see the pageant (an anachronism, in my view), but it seems to be that under these circumstances, the other beauty queens may have received puffballs that offered no threat of controversy.
The fairest thing would have been to give all them the same question. Toastmasters International does this with its Table Topics contest (a contest in extemporaneous speaking). All contestants wait outside the contest area, and each is escorted back to the room singly, in succession, to receive the same question. The contestants are then judged on their abilities to assemble their thoughts and present their answers in an organized manner.
This would have been a much fairer way to judge the Miss USA contestants' poise and mental agility that to subject them all to different standards.

Postscript: As I write this, Donald Trump has just announced at a press conference that Ms. Prejean will continue as Miss California. It has been a great example of spin and self service. Trump trumpeted how "important" the pageant has become since he bought it. Then Prejean spoke of her right to speak, adding inexplicably and perfunctorily how her grandfather fought with General Patton. She also launched into a diatribe on freedom of speech, which no one except the contest judge disputed. No one at the press conference addressed the point of how Prejean has subsequently gone on to a public platform against gay marriage, which has nothing to do with her role as Miss California.

The Courteous Language of Service

This past Saturday night was a gumbo of fun, fright and enlightenment. But it's only now that I recognize that. For several hours, it was only terrifying.
I was at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia to see the World Champs battle their Knickerbocker Nemeses, the New York Mets. The game was back and forth, with the Mets ahead and the Phillies coming back, battling into extra innings. The up-and-down nature of the game was matched by fans, who stood and sat throughout the game. That is, most of the fans, but not me.
I had gone to the game while recuperating from a herniated disk. It didn't feel bad at the beginning, and I knew enough to get up from my seat every once in a while and stretch my legs. Still, by the seventh inning, it became difficult to rise. By the time the Mets walked Shane Victorino in the 10th inning to hand them the game, I was plastered to my seat, unable to see the winning run.
For able-bodied readers, you can only imagine the pain and the fear I was feeling. First, I was unable to get out of a chair for 10 to 15 minutes. Stadium staff politely requested that I leave so they could clean, and I advised them that I had a severe back problem. "Do you want medical assistance, sir," she asked. Not yet, I groaned.
Imagine further that once I made it out of the chair, I could not climb the stairs, as it was nearly impossible to place one foot in front of the other. When I finally made it to the top only by hanging onto two other men, I gave in. "Please get the medical transport," I requested, " and take me to the emergency room."
The transport team asked me how I wanted to be placed in their golfcart-like vehicle. They complied, and before I knew it, I was in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. (By the way, if you want to see interesting looks on people's faces, go through a crowd on some sort of emergency vehicle.)
You have to know that I am a middle-aged man for whom this would be the first time EVER as an emergency room patient. Up to now, I only visited ERs for other members of my family. This was a new experience. Once I made it to a gurney and had my blood pressure and sugar checked (I have type 2 diabetes), I spent many minutes slowly moving parts of my body into a position that would not cause me to scream. At one point, I was facing the wall while a physician was talking with me. I stopped to say, "I'm really sorry not to face you. It's only because I can't turn around. I don't mean to be rude."
He said, "I don't get upset at things like that. You are the most civil patient I've ever had from a Phillies game. (He went on to explain that most Philadelphia sports fans are in the ER as a result of a fight with an opposing fan.)
I spent five hours there getting shot up with pain-killers until my buddy, Vince, could take me home.
Since then, I have slept off the drugs and returned to as much mental acuity as I normally muster. But as I reflect on this incident, I realized how much society has changed in the way we treat strangers or others in need. My encounters with the staff at the ball park started politely rather than as a confrontation ("Get out of here, we have to clean!"). When my plight was apparent, others joined to help, and they could not have been more concerned.
The transport team asked about my comfort every step of the way. When they had to get my medical information, and it was obvious that I was lying on my wallet, the EMT was patient.
In the emergency room, every physician and nurse addressed me as "sir," asked about my condition, and treated my questions with respect, explaining what would happen to me as a result of the narcotic punchbowl that they were feeding me. They warned me of the side effects so I would understand that they needed to ration the medicine, just so they wouldn't kill me with respiratory problems. You know, little details like those.
It has since dawned on me that this was the effect of the "political correctness" that so many are willing to decry. I said that I am a middle-aged man, and I remember when things were NOT this way. I remember the disdain of inappropriately named "service" people who treated you as though you were their last barrier standing between them and a coffee break. I like this, and I thank the folks in the 1970s who changed not only the language of service but the hearts and minds of society. I'm glad many of us listened to them.

Who Wrote Your Speech?

To My Fellow Toastmasters and other Speechmakers:

I was annoyed some years back when the film “The Dead Poets Society” won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. I found that the film was little more than a pastiche of literary fragments from some of the greatest writers of all time, held together by a flimsy melodrama. Similarly, I have endured many speeches that were similarly unoriginal:

• The main body of the speech is a published feature story that is repeated with little embellishment. At the end, the speaker feebly tries to tie it together with a phrase like, “Has this ever happened to you?” or “What could we learn from this?”
• We receive commentary on a recent event that is simply a compilation of the previously published insights of other professional commentators.
• The speaker takes a stand on an issue, but fails to attribute his supporting facts, which often are the unaccredited opinions of others with similar opinions.

I admit that I have my own penchant for quotations by others. (I find their words can be better than my own.) But when former Toastmaster World Champs reviewed drafts of my speech, they nail me on the second citation. “You've already quoted someone else,” they say. “We’re more interested in what YOU have to say!”
In the end, that is the main idea: Toastmasters exists so that we can build our own communication skills. That includes thinking through our points, constructing their logic, and then using language and oratorical skills to convey them. Parroting others is not only self-defeating, it is unethical, approaching plagiarism (if not actually committing that crime).
It is a unique thrill to deliver a speech that informs, entertains, moves, or inspires other to action. Give yourself the pride of rightfully claiming the work as your own.