Tara Holloway’s Post

🌟 The POWER of Effective Communication in Business! 🌟 Have you been trying out some of the tips I've been sharing this month? Here's another one - Storytelling: Bringing Solutions to Life Stories have a unique power to make the abstract tangible. Integrate storytelling into your pitch, narrating how your product or service has positively impacted others in similar situations. This not only engages the client emotionally but also illustrates real-world benefits. Example: "Allow me to share a success story from a client facing challenges similar to yours. By implementing our software, they streamlined operations and witnessed a 30% reduction in both time and costs." Need a bit more help? Reach out and let's start a conversation that could be the beginning of another beautiful business relationship! 🤝🌐 #Networking #communication #BusinessGrowth #Collaboration #MutualGrowth #Leadership #My121SuccessCoach

The #1 reason people aren’t buying into your ideas? No trust. Most presentations fail for one reason: lack of trust. But what if you could master the exact steps to build it—every time? Trust isn’t optional in presentations, it's everything. Without trust, no one will buy into your idea, product, or vision for the future. That's why building trust during your presentation is crucial to achieving your goals. In this carousel, I’m breaking down the 4 essential steps to building trust, providing good and bad examples for each step. 1. Present your idea as a solution 2. Reassure with real examples 3. Focus on one clear idea 4. Use simple language Swipe through to see real-life examples that show how little improvements can build (or break) trust in your presentations. The simpler your message, the clearer your solution, the stronger the trust you build. What's your top tip for building trust in presentations? #PresentationSkills #Leadership #CommunicationTips

🚨 Strategy Reality Check 🚨 Your strategy isn't hidden in a PowerPoint deck. It's screaming at you from every decision you make – or don't make. Let's bust some myths about strategy: 1. There is no such thing as not having a strategy. Your 'accidental' strategy is probably more honest than the one gathering dust in your CEO's drawer. 2. Strategy is always observable from inside an organization. It's as visible as a neon sign in your org's actions. Claiming you can't see it? That's willful blindness. 3. Strategy is what you DO, not what you SAY. It's in every 'yes' and every 'no'. It's in your hires, fires, your cost structure, customer base, and how you create value. 4. Your outcomes are a direct result of your strategy. So you clearly have a strategy because you have outcomes. If you don't like your outcomes, then fix your strategy. It's that simple. 5. You can't have a good strategy if you don't understand what your customers value and how you can create that value in a way that provides your org with an advantage. No advantage? Fix your strategy. If you don't know your strategy, congratulations! You've strategically decided to let chaos be your co-pilot. 🤔 Quick Self-Assessment: - Can you articulate your strategy? - Does your team's daily actions align with this strategy? - When was the last time you reassessed your strategy? 💡 Challenge: Share ONE thing you'll do differently after reading this. I'm committed to helping people think and act more strategically. Tag a leader who needs to hear this! #Strategy #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #StrategicThinking

𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆? 😩 Been there! That's why I designed the Strategy Sprint workshop – a powerful tool to develop a clear and actionable strategy in less than ONE WEEK. 🚀 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲: ↳ Lack of direction 🧭 ↳ Difficulty making decisions 🤔 ↳ Feeling overwhelmed by strategic planning 🤯 The Strategy Sprint uses a structured process to tackle your biggest challenges. Through activities like purpose mapping and defining challenges, you'll gain the clarity and focus you need to move forward with confidence. 🎯 𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹: ✅ Align your team around a common goal ✅ Help you make better decisions ✅ Drive measurable results So by the end of the week, you and your team will 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗸-𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 that you can confidently implement to achieve your goals. 💪 Ready to take your business to the next level? Let's chat about how a Strategy Sprint can help! 💬 👇 For more information, see the link in the comments. 👇 #Strategy #Innovation #Teamwork #StrategySprint #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Collaboration #Productivity #Workshop

𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆? 😩 Been there! That's why I designed the Strategy Sprint workshop – a powerful tool to develop a clear and actionable strategy in less than ONE WEEK. 🚀 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲: ↳ Lack of direction 🧭 ↳ Difficulty making decisions 🤔 ↳ Feeling overwhelmed by strategic planning 🤯 The Strategy Sprint uses a structured process to tackle your biggest challenges. Through activities like purpose mapping and defining challenges, you'll gain the clarity and focus you need to move forward with confidence. 🎯 𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹: ✅ Align your team around a common goal ✅ Help you make better decisions ✅ Drive measurable results So by the end of the week, you and your team will 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗸-𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 that you can confidently implement to achieve your goals. 💪 Ready to take your business to the next level? Let's chat about how a Strategy Sprint can help! 💬 👉 This is how you develop a clear and effective strategy for 2024: https://lnkd.in/eXe_s7NX #Strategy #Innovation #Teamwork #StrategySprint #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Collaboration #Productivity #Workshop

What do you really want? Like a glacier, the surface wants and needs of people are often driven by unseen deeper wants and needs, which are much larger and less obvious. For example, this weekend I want to see Dune 2 because I saw Dune 1 and I enjoyed the book. My deeper want (or at least I think) is to sit in a theater on a rainy day and shut my brain "off" for a few hours - no decisions, no thinking. Both wants are valid, but you have to think a little more and probe to get to the deeper want. This happens all the time when I work with clients on workshop and offsite objectives. Coming up with an objective is the most difficult part of what I do. This was true when I ran workshops and off-sites internally and continues in my client work today. Here is a tip - Use a pre-mortem approach when thinking about the outcomes. Imagine your offsite/workshop is over, and it was a grand success! What does it feel like? What are people saying? How does work change moving forward? Now imagine the opposite- Your workshop/offsite was a complete failure. What does that look like? What are people saying? What is the impact? Once you get high level answers to these questions, dig deeper using "why" statements - Why is this true? Why is this important? Why is this happening/not happening now? Objectives aren't easy, and it takes some digging to get there. however when you nail it and know what you want, it becomes much easier to craft the path. What do you think? How do you define your objectives? #teambuilding #leadership #communication

"That's an executive meeting - we've got to get a deck prepared" But, do you? Over the years I've wrestled with this concept... That in corporate America the only way to communicate with partners and leadership is to have a deck. Preferably 6 slides or less. With everything you need to say - on the slides. I, like most others, cave to the requirement because if and when we don't people in the room will shut down, focus on the wrong things and the meeting usually goes sideways. 🧐 But what does that consequence say about corporate audiences? It means they are not willing to give the problem solver any opportunity to communicate in their own way. That it must be THEIR way. And if it isn't, they will shut down their active listening / attentiveness. In a knowledge economy - communication is key to solving business problems. Please don't let format dictate if are going to open your ears and eyes. In every situation lean in - truly listen, and stop worrying about what format the person brought to the situation. Please :) #linkedin #business #leadership

Strategy Isn't Just for the Boardroom: Why Clarity Matters Picture this: you step into an elevator and someone asks, "What does your company do?" You've got 30 seconds before the doors open. Can you clearly, concisely articulate your organization's purpose and direction? If that question makes your stomach twist, you're not alone. But the ability for every team member to pitch your strategy is more than just a handy elevator skill. It's a sign of a healthy, focused organization. A clear strategy brings clarity. It's your company's North Star, guiding decisions big and small. It helps you say "yes" to the right opportunities and "no" to distractions. A defined strategy boosts morale. When every team member understands the mission and their role in it, they feel purpose and direction. And a simple, compelling strategy drives growth. It helps you tell a story that resonates with customers and sets you apart from competitors. So, can you pass the elevator test? If not, it may be time to refine your strategy and make sure every team member can clearly articulate it. #leadership #strategy #communication

Courage is often the first step to growth. In today’s fast-evolving business world, it’s essential to embrace new ways of communication. Whether it’s adopting the latest digital tools, adjusting how we interact with clients, or learning how to tell our story in a way that resonates—change requires bravery. 🚀 Stepping outside our comfort zone means having the courage to not only adapt but to actively seek better, more effective ways of connecting with others. 🌱 The most successful businesses aren’t those that resist change, but those that continuously learn, innovate, and grow. As we explore new strategies and technologies to engage with our audiences, let’s remember that growth starts with courage, and true progress happens when we dare to take the leap. What new communication tools or methods have you embraced recently? How have they transformed your business relationships? Let’s share insights! #Courage #BusinessGrowth #Innovation #Communication #Leadership

I've just read this really great article in Harvard Business Review, written by Luis Velasquez MBA, PhD., that talks about visibility; "If your strategy isn’t seen and understood, it’s as if it doesn’t exist." We often hear about the importance of a strategic mindset, but Luis talked about what that actually looks like in practice! Here’s what I took away, and why it resonated: 1) Show your strategy - It’s not enough to have a vision; your strategy needs to be visible. If stakeholders can't see it, they assume you don't have one. 2) Storytelling is important - Strategies are often abstract, you need to show how yours connects to your company's needs or how it connects to real-world applications.  3) Consistency is key - Regularly connecting daily work to long-term goals keeps the strategy in focus, even when short-term pressures mount. 4) Use crises to demonstrate strategy - Crisis moments are opportunities to showcase foresight and adaptability. For anyone feeling like their “strategic mindset” isn’t coming across, this article is a must-read https://lnkd.in/dHvcshAg. #Strategy #Leadership #Communication #ProfessionalGrowth #HBR