Watch for this Red Flag
Louise Mahler
Keynote Speaker of The Year | Gravitas and Executive Presence Expert | Speaker | Executive Coach | Media commentator | Adjunct Professor | Author
Once upon a time, when my son was young, he had a girlfriend who, when offered an omelette, looked at me blankly and squealed, “What’s an omelette?” Glad to say she didn’t last.
Let’s face this kind of knowledge gap is a red flag.
So, this week, I had a few cultural red flags that made my week less than perfect.
I tried to catch a taxi home from a keynote and the taxi driver refused to take me as the fare was not large enough. When I told him that was illegal, he sped off at pace. I checked. It is illegal.
I went to Safeway to buy capers. I couldn’t find one single staff member who knew what ‘capers’ were. I suggested that without help, I would stand at their counter for the rest of the day looking like an annoyed blob, which was possibly not the best outcome (which might just be a red flag about me!).
Then, the hinge on my folding cupboard door fell off. The maintenance guy said he would charge $300 to come and ‘look’ at the problem.
The issue is, industries are morphing, areas of education are shifting, and professions are evolving. Whether it is for the better or not is the question. Personally, when I am queen, I am making it compulsory to study a second language to enter university (and yes, that used to be the rule before you were born). I might even make it Latin!
Back in my swimming lane (as they say in strategic planning workshops), I see the tragic consequences of diminished/lost/ignored knowledge about leadership communication.
Let me assure you that, by the time someone says “I think I am losing confidence” they are often at crisis point, but there is so much shame of failure, that by the time they admit it to themselves or others, it is a red flag.
Where to turn? Knowledge in this area seems rarer than hen’s teeth. As a coach, you need three sets of skills:
If you are struggling. . . don’t. Help is at hand. If I can’t help, I am sure to know someone who can elevate you to deliver the winning pitch, make a motivational presentation, excel at an interview or lead a whole organisation. Just ask.
Here are my 5 most USELESS motherhood statements/actions:
And here are 5 USEFUL tips:
Let me know your thoughts.
"The day with Louise was a fantastic professional development opportunity—perhaps one of the best I've ever undertaken—and a wonderful way to spend time with my colleagues. It allowed us to get to know each other better and learn together. We all still talk about the experience as we reflect on what we learned and the laughs we had. Without a doubt, this was one of the best investments in my professional development. I would recommend it to anyone who has to speak to another human in the course of their professional life."
Nick Brown
Chief of Staff at Microsoft
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Owner, Starling Design
3 周As an afterthought, re flags, I think we need more white ones in the world at large. Had to be said.
Freelance / Write, Edit, Create Presentations / Service
3 周Much appreciation for needed skills, useless and USEFUL tips; they are spot on. Do you share (or have you done) your personal mantras and practises?
Project Manager at KBR, Inc.
3 周Hello Louise, dealing with red flags ?? sometimes requires humour and respect. I mean in my experience how can you not know what an omelette is? That’s when I start the dad jokes ?? until they google it
Owner, Starling Design
4 周Great post Louise. I am often surprised at the lack of curiosity of so many. We have atlases, dictionaries, recipe books, self help podcasts, documentaries… Need I go on! I used to love musing, pondering and delving. Today we seem to rely on a more narrow mindedness based on our own limited experiences which holds us in the same familiar, safe constraints. Time for courage, new thinking and bravery to express ourselves fully! That’s the change we need to see.