Kazakhstan is located in Central Asia and is a previous Soviet Union state. It is literally the world’s 9th largest land mass (for a country) in the world. Just to give you an idea how big it is, the distance from one end of Kazakhstan to the other is the same as from London to Istanbul. This country has one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the world and from Almaty, I can see the mountains surrounding the city.

Location of Kazakhstan

The people are mainly Kazakhstanis and they speak their own Kazak language and Russian as well.  My assignment was to conduct a public talk for a few companies and also a management retreat to Nurai Company, one of the largest travel agencies there.

It is simply amazing to witness how the people are resourceful in getting things done with whatever equipment they have. There was a time when the car I travelled in could not be used further and someone offered to take us to the destination for a price. Taxis are rare there, but you can just hop into anyone’s car provided if you are willing to pay for it.

The people there are pretty hungry to learn and very energetic in the way they speak. I was also amazed by the manager’s ability to sit down for many hours and share about their experiences of leadership. One of the trainings that I covered was on creating dynamic teams and a good work environment. It was really an eye opener for most of them because it was most of the managers realised that they did not have to be the best in everything but to create strong teams to help them through.

A display of strength is also important in that culture as well, it is interesting  to note that whoever is the most domineering and aggressive tends to get their way first. I believe it might be because of the previous Soviet Union culture they were exposed to.

Here are some photos to share with you.

Translator, Roslan and me

Seminar on Service Excellence

Teambuilding Program for Management Staff

Management Retreat in the Mountains

Food

Kazakh food is generally very meaty and they love to eat meat! Vegetables are secondary and it was my first time eating horse meat and drinking Camal and horse milk. Both milk (shubat and kumys respectively) are really horrible to drink (although the men there totally disagree with me)! They taste very acidic and sour. I was commenting that it actually tasted like urine, but one of the managers asked me whether I tasted urine before? I told her that after this experience, I might just want to taste it just to compare the difference! (In case you were wondering, I didn’t drink urine after that).

Beshparmak (on the right)- Meat Meat and More Meat

Beshparmak (called “five fingers”, in the manner it is eaten) is a traditional Kazakh dish and it made of chunks of meat! I heard that they had sheep’s head cooked in some of the Beshparmak and is usually served to guests. I was pretty thankful that all I saw was just meat and no head!

Traditional way of eating, which is on the floor

Horse meat being served

Conclusion

Kazakhstan is a place filled with many beautiful snow capped mountains and has an old rustic feeling of the 1980s. If you are game enough to try different types of meat, Kazakhstan is the place you will want to be!

Popularity: 29% [?]

I am currently sitting down in a Starbucks cafe in Subvarnabhu Airport, Thailand waiting for my flight to Almaty, Kazakhstan. So, I thought to be more productive, I hope to write to you on this topic of Excellence.

I recently gave a few talks to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore, Sime Darby and Domino’s Pizza and can’t help but ask what is Excellence and why does it matter to us? I mean, honestly… why should we display excellence in what we do?

Before I begin, may I ask you what is the difference between Excellence and Perfectionism? (Do answer the question before you read on).

Excellence, to me, is the desire to constantly want to be better in what we do. We look through our processes and system of doing things and want to make them better. This means that processes need to be as carefully thought out as possible and then implemented.

Perfectionism is the whole idea of doing things right. It has to work very well and absolutely have no flaws in the process. It has to be simply… perfect! Anything less is really fowled upon.

I don’t know about you but I find the idea of being perfectionist pretty scary and somehow not very useful. People who are perfectionist in nature tend to criticise everything and also refuse to do anything because they know that things might not work or turn out well. People of excellence, on the other hand, will give considerable thought in the whole process and do what they think its best at that moment. It might not be perfect, but they know that if things are not implemented or done in the first place, it cannot be improved.

However, excellence in what we do is not achieved simply by desire, but also by putting a lot of effort in making sure that we constantly improve our abilities. Ask any athlete who prepares for the Olympics, they have to constantly train and discipline themselves. As a Public Speaker and Trainer, I have committed myself to constantly read and summarise what I have learnt every single month. There were times when I spent many nights just reading and rereading even on topics that I am extremely familiar about. I can recall the countless times where I literally was ‘working on myself’ when other people were watching TV or going out. There is a price to pay for excellence and somehow, it does not come cheap.

So, why subject yourself to hard work and discipline? Here are some reasons that why you must display excellence:

1.    Displaying Excellence is lucrative in today’s society. How many people do you know can actually display intense knowledge and skill in what they do? These people are always rewarded with a much higher pay and return on their time.

2.    Displaying Excellence causes a person to be proud of what they do. It is in every human being’s desire to constantly want to be better in what they do. Your intrinsic self-worth is dramatically increased.

3.    Displaying Excellence commands the respect of people. If you see people doing things extremely well, won’t you envy or praise them? This causes a person to feel proud in what they do and will increase their desire to do things better.

Conclusion
I hope you will display excellence in what you do, whether in your personal or professional life. Anything that is worth doing, deserves to be done with excellence.

Popularity: 31% [?]

This is my 4th article to be featured in the Straits Times and is personally one of my favourite since a lot of people constantly ask me if motivational talks really work at all.

Read the truth behind such talks and what value it can bring.

You can read download the article here.

Popularity: 32% [?]

As some of you know, I am part of the Asia Professional Speakers, Singapore (APSS). As speakers and trainers, we have decided to do what we do best and give back to the community by presenting a seminar called “Raise Your Game”. We will donate all the money we have collected from this seminar to the Singapore Cancer Society.

In this program, you will get to listen to top notch speakers in Singapore on Mindset Change, Increasing Productivity, Attracting people to you, Steps to raise your career, increasing your memory power, service excellence and much more!

Date: 1 Mar 2010
Time: 0845-1730
Place:Singapore
Lecture Theatre 23, 3rd floor,
SIM Headquarters, 461 Clementi Road
Cost: $188

To register or donate, click here.

Here is the line up of speakers:

Play a Higher Service Game in 2010…and Win
Ron Kaufman

Lessons from Everest:
Climbing High when Everyone Else is Feeling Low
David Lim CSP

5 Key Steps to Success to Consistently Raise Your Game
Shirley Taylor

Turning Everyday Struggles into Everyday Greatness
Dr William Tan

Simple Strategies for Becoming a Magnet for Success
Christian Chua

Raise Your Career, Raise Your Team and Raise Your Life!
Michael Podolinksy CSP

Raise your Game by Maximising your Memory Power
Nishant Kasibhatla

To register or donate, click here.

I appeal to that you come for this event. As you learn and be empowered, you are also giving back to the community. Let’s do our bid and show love for our fellow friends.

Do forward this blog link to your friends!

Popularity: 16% [?]

Here are some photos of the recent Batch of Dare To Train participants. They wanted to learn how to be a GREAT Trainer infront of large crowds. We basically addressed all the important elements that Trainers needed to have.

Participants were taught techniques of how to generate training content (on any topic), create high energy in training, practice skills to speak to the crowd, how to get crowds to echo what they say and instantly get people to participate in group discussions.

If you are keen on taking up this program want to be a GREAT Trainer, do email us at

coach(a)deepimpactonline(dot)com or call us at +65 6274 5145.

Adrian receiving feeback on his Presentation

Three Minutes to Engage the Crowd

Brainstorming on why Trainers are not Effective

A Technique to Overcome Fear

Graduates of Dare To Train, Woo Hoo!

Popularity: 39% [?]

I recently emceed a slot in Singapore Food Festival 2009 (17-26 July), right in the heart of Orchard Rd. This year particularly highlighted Peranakan cuisines and a great deal of their culture.

Kenneth (on left) and Alvin emceeing on a Mobile Stage

Little Nonyas parading

Inviting the Public to Take Photos with the little Nonyas

Tips on Emceeing Road Shows:

1. Ensure that you are dressed to the Occasion (I wore a Batik shirt to match the atmosphere)
2. If you have to talk to moving crowds that keep walking, talk in short and fast sentences to ensure they understand you even if they are not paying attention to you.
3. Always invite the crowd to participate with you, eg. Take photos, dance to a rhythm, answer quizs, talk about where they come from and etc. The more participation, the better the responses.
4. Remember that your audience want an experience! Your job is to make them feel entertained and that they have felt something in their hearts. You can do this by following point 3.
5. Be thoroughly familiar with the nature of the event. This will help when you have ‘gaps’ in the program and you need to say something to fill in.
6. Don’t be worried if you need to repeat what you have said earlier. This is because if you have a crowd that constantly walks past, they will not have heard what you said much earlier.
7. High Energy is important, even if you are tired, you cannot show it through your voice or face. The audience mimics your energy level and you need to always remember that it is always about them, not you.

If you like this article, please subscribe to our blog by getting the Free Report on “7 Transformational Secrets to creating a Dynamic and Cohesive Team”. If you have comments, I would love to hear them. Please write your comments on the top right of this post.

Popularity: 65% [?]

I have seen many people over time speak from the stage and yet lack the essence and stage presence in order to make a powerful speech that will impact people. As a trainer and speaker who has spoken to thousands of individuals, allow me to share certain concepts that will make you a very Desirable and Effective Speaker. Whether you are doing a small presentation or a huge one, the principles are the same.

1. Know the WIIFM

Do you know what is the greatest FM station in the entire world? Its WII FM station. It basically stands for “What’s In It For Me”. Most presenters start by sharing a joke or telling a story, while this is good, it does not usually get the buy-in from the audience right from the beginning. Speakers should try immediately start by addressing why the audience should listen to them (WIIFM). It can come in the form of presenting a problem and making it clear that it is a BIG problem. Once the audience agrees with you and find that they need the solution, they will know that they have to listen to you.

2. Create Empathy by Sight

Most speakers do not maintain enough eye contact with their audience. They speak to audiences, but do not take time to scan the audience when they are talking. Scanning is very important as it helps the audience know that you acknowledge their presence. A simple technique that I teach my participants is to pick three persons in the audience; one on the extreme left of the audience, centre and the extreme right. When you talk, slowly move your head from left to right, pausing for three seconds before you move to the next target person. Look out for the eyes of each person. When a person knows you are looking at him/her, they get attentive and listen closely to what you have to say.

3. Involve Participants In Actions

The more kinestatic you make your audience, they more they will enjoy it! Being kinestatic means that they are able to move their hands or legs, echo back what you have said, sharing what they have learnt with each other or patting each other on the back! These actions are important in creating energy in the room and you should us them throughout your entire program. They keep the energy level high and want to learn more.

4. Be Clear

One of the fastest way to lose an audience is to speak softly. It is important to know that audiences do want you to succeed. So, it is important to loose the inhabitations and articulate every word clearly. Test out how loud your speech is by asking the last person behind if they can hear you and give them permission to signal you if your volume of your voice were to dip.

Follow these principles on the stage or presentations and people will follow you. Start by making a Deep Impact today!

PS: I could be holding a seminar on “Training People to Speak from the Stage and earn Tons of Money Sharing Your knowledge”. Would that interest you? Email me at coach(a)deepimpactonline(dot)com if you are keen.

Popularity: 6% [?]