I hate motivational speakers

I do. Hate them, that is.

To a degree that is at once corporeal and elusive.

It's too easy to focus on the charlatans (Think and Grow Rich! or The Secret) or any of the endless parade of buy-my-book hucksters.

How they emphatically speak their nonsense as if it were God's own gospel. How they charge up a roomful of hopefuls, bill them for the experience, then loose them on a world that will subsequently swallow them whole.

I hate these people. Faith healers at least have to ask you to believe in magic - motivational speakers would have you believe their message is scientific. It's been tested.

Look! A testimonial! Thousands of paying customers cannot be wrong!

The more challenging targets for me - are the ones who sound reasonable. People like Marcus Buckingham.

This morning, our group is asked to watch a video of his called Trombone Player Wanted.

Buckingham. Note the off-center focal point.

And it's maddeningly great.

High production values, charismatic speaker, good soundtrack, engaging subplot in the background imagery.
Worst of all - that tried and true formula - a central message that is simple and doesn't promise the world.

This might work for you - why not give it a try?

Yes, why not?

So, there you are, asking yourself - am I just the kind of cynic who will reject good advice solely on the basis of how it was delivered? or am I the kind of person who would follow the advice of a slick motivational speaker?

And so while I'm fumbling for the familiar words: charlatan, bullsh!t, etc. I'm still psyched.

And I hate that - either I'm a complete fool, staring into the open maw of corporate reality with a big dopey smile on my face - or I'm dismissing a viewpoint because its author looked too rehearsed during their anecdote about confronting their father?

Of course mindset has a lot to do with success - who doubts that?

I'm of the opinion that self censorship is the biggest professional limitation. They'll say no, so I won't ask.

My job, I spend hours asking for the unlikely and being told no. And I still keep asking. And it gets really tiresome. When I catch myself holding back, I feel like a complete sell out. So I go back out and pitch more crazy.

But there aren't a lot of rewards for that kind of approach. It is hard to watch bad design be laid down in stone - but we are asked to do what good we can.

Buckingham is telling us that we should focus on our strengths and stop focusing on stuff we suck at. It makes you wonder - what the hell am I good at? and who would pay me to focus on that?

And a motivational speaker that makes me wonder is particularly infuriating.
It's just so much easier to loathe them reflexively, en masse.

Get back with the quacks where you belong.