Another day, another promise from a coach who provides a quick route to success. The one I was promised today was “Positive thinking is the key to business success”. How interesting: and the person offering the opportunity to create positive thinking had NEVER had a business before – but I suspect you won’t have been surprised about this!
So from this claim, a business idea, financial acumen, marketing and selling skills and creating great products/services, knowledge come to nothing. It is ALL about positive thinking. This is ridiculous, yet it isn’t the first time I have been ‘sold to’ in this way.
I always use the analogy of tennis in this situation. Of course all of the top tennis players have sports psychologists to support them with their mindset. However, these players are already an amazing standard. They have worked for years and years on their technique, physical fitness and building up their playing experience. Working on the mindset helps to create a winning player and can be the edge between equally skilful, talented players. BUT IT ISN’T THE KEY THEIR SUCCESS.
Likewise, when Mo Farah was featured in an amazing documentary about his training and success. Of course he mentioned – fleetingly, his mindset training, but it principally focused on the sheer hard work and the personal sacrifices he had to make. These included being separated from his wife and family for most of the year, and sleeping in an oxygen bubble next to his wife (I am sure she was thrilled), when they were together. The fact is that a positive mindset is part of his success, but it wasn’t the KEY to his success. If he hadn’t worked so hard, and been physically perfect for long distance running, he wouldn’t have been successful.
The reason why I mention this is because I come across speaking coaches who sell their services based on changing client’s mindset so they won’t be frightened of speaking any more. There is no focus on technique, developing your unique style, or creating clarity of the client’s message, but a quick solution. It is putting a sticking plaster on a ‘speaking wound’, when providing some skills in speaking as well as helping clients to manage their nerves and create a positive mindset are more holistic (and effective) methods of developing skills.
Mindset is incredibly important in success, but there is also a lot of hard work and ability needed to achieve this.
If you would to discuss a speech or presentation you need to deliver and would like me to support you to be great, call 08000938464 or contact me.
You have GOT to do this. No I don’t!