The title of a PSA Scotland regional conference keynote I gave was "the 7 keys to having full impact when speaking" and has been adapted here to having FULL IMPACT where ever you want it.

When you're faced with any challenge it's easy to dive into the details - into all the lovely content and facts and data (as you see them anyway).

However, rather than get lost in all that data and logic which might include:

• why you're where you are, 
• why you've not progressed further to date, 
• why it's difficult, 
• why this or that expert who gave you advice was wrong, or 
• why it was hard for you to apply their expertise 

Rather than explore more about

• this hurdle, 
• that problem, 
• the difficult person
• or dilemma 

we're going to use metaphor to provide some insight.

Using metaphor allows you to stop defending your current situation, and to rise above the 'content' that's keeping you stuck, and to simply and objectively observe the patterns of the situation. Patterns that support or otherwise you achieving your goal. Patterns that once observed can more easily be released or rearranged. 

In this post the metaphor of taking a FULL IMPACT photograph is going to act as a reflection for a situation you're wanting to have FULL IMPACT about - whether that's a full impact speech or sales pitch, having a full impact career, or perhaps even full impact about the food choices you're making.

Please bare in mind - this process is not a dish best served cold, in other words, it's going to make more sense if you can apply the questions to a real life situation.

Take a few minutes, therefore, to consider a situation you'd like to have FULL IMPACT about. Then put that situation to the back of your mind as you continue to read and consider the insights from this post. 

Please, please, please don't start to assess how the metaphor applies to your situation until you've explored the metaphor first. It's like planting a seed and then uncovering it every day to check if it's started to grow yet - you'll just increase the chances of it failing to flourish at all! 

In this instance the metaphor we're going to use is a landscape - where the 360 degree landscape reflects all the choices you have, and a FULL IMPACT photograph is what you're aiming to take.

That is, success is a photograph of the landscape that has FULL IMPACT,  and you're simply going to explore what you can do to maximise the likelihood of you taking a photograph that has FULL IMPACT.

To have full FULL IMPACT you need CLARITY or more precisely YTIRALC.

1. Y is for Y-Factor 

Y are you taking the image - what's your objective?

Perhaps it's about the emotion you want people feeling as a result of seeing the picture, or action you're wanting them to take, or simply a record for future generations and so on.

Perhaps it's information you're wanting to convey.

Y do you want to take the picture - because that's certainly going to help determine where you focus your camera, and when you press the button.

2. T is for Timing.

Many full impact pictures require that they be taken at a very precise time of day or year - not often able to be taken 24/7 365 days a year. 

That is, some images might be a once in a life time shot - even if well worth the patience and perseverance.

For example, to take a full impact picture of the northern lights you're going to want to have certain favourable conditions - ie to be as close to the poles as possible, for there to be solar activity, for it to be dark, away from city lights, cloudless and preferably no moon. 

Which means you have a choice:

• To take a photograph that reflects the current environment, or 
• Ensure you do everything to match the perfect conditions to get the shot you're wanting

What you won't get is a great photo of the northern lights if it's midday in the middle of summer. When faced with those conditions it might be better to let go of the 'must be northern lights' and focus on what is in front of you!

3. I is for Interesting

Yes of course, you need to find it interesting to convey that interest to the other party but so do the other people in the situation. Without interest why would anyone invest any time in looking at the image.

Interest is of course very subjective: 

or perhaps it's about making the every day interesting:

Which all links back to the Y-Factor.

4. R is for Rainbow

Colour can make or break an image - too little colour, too much of one colour, too busy with any and all colours, not enough contrast, too much contrast - it's up to the photographer to weigh this all up when considering the image to be taken.

Where will the colour make most impact?

This is where you also have to be careful with airbrushing - too much airbrushing or tampering with nature and something will no longer look authentic and full impact could be lost totally and for ever!

5. A is for Angle

There's many many photographs out there all vying for people's attention, and if you're taking an image of a park bench everyone has already seen many park benches before.

Which means a full impact image of a park bench has to view that park bench from a different angle.

6. L is for Lens.

We're getting closer to taking the picture and need to start to make decisions about zooming in or out.

Do you need to provide a little of both - the big picture and detail? 

Or perhaps it's more about what to allow to be out of focus? 

7. C is for Composition 

Composition is how you put all these components together, when you make a decision and commit to taking the picture. 

The rule of thirds would suggest not to plonk what's of interest in the middle but to have it off to the side a little - to allow space around the focal point so people can enjoy it. Too busy and they just won't get what ever it is you're trying to convey. 

As you reflect on this post did you notice other insights that might apply to taking a picture for FULL IMPACT?  

The aim now is to notice what you notice about the original situation. This exploration may already have unconsciously opened up the situation - so you're already able to see other options that may have been hiding earlier. 

Alternatively, you may now need to reflect on each aspect of CLARITY to understand what might be missing or need further refinement from the current situation.

For example, if you're want a presentation with FULL IMPACT you may want to consider: 

• Y-factor - why are you doing it - what impact do you want to make?
• Timing - what are the key and unique characteristics of this audience, rather than your last or next audience? 
• Interesting - what will interest this audience?
• Rainbow - how can you allow your authenticity to shine?
• Angle - what's your angle, how can you ensure people hear something they've heard many times before from a different angle?
• Lens - what will you leave out for a future discussion, what will you focus on? 
• Composition - how will you put it all together to allow the key points to breathe? 

If it's a FULL IMPACT career you're wanting to make then questions this metaphor might be posing include:

• Y-factor - what do you want from your career? 
• Timing - how is timing important about what you want or is available now, and in the future?
• Interesting - what makes for an interesting job for you (and how can you have more of these)? 
• Rainbow - what makes for an enjoyable day at work (and how can you have more of those)?
• Angle - what's your niche or USP - what unique skills do you bring to your work?
• Lens - what's the long and short term focus for your career - how will this next step help you get there?
• Composition - what will you do now, what can wait, what do you need to be doing whilst you wait?

and if your quandary is about making food choices that deliver FULL IMPACT, and as I type I'm wondering if this will work and am just about to find out along with you ....  

• Y-factor - what's your objective - health, fitness, short or long term? 
• Timing - is the timing supportive of achieving the specific goal or might a different goal suit the current conditions better?  
• Interesting - how can you make this exciting - what's worked before - what's not worked before?  
• Rainbow - how can you add some colour - spice into it? ie how to make it less bland? 
• Angle - if you're tried this before what angle might you be able to see this goal from in order to make it worth spending the time and energy on? 
• Lens - what's the bigger picture - and perhaps more importantly zoom in and focus on some smaller more tangible goals to focus on initially to start you off on your journey - what are you quick wins? 
• Composition - how can you pull this together into a package that you can commit to rather than ignore - will there be prizes, does the challenge have a name, are there milestones, is there room to breathe?  

I trust this exploration has provided you with insight about the situation you wanted some CLARITY about - and that it also gave you a great example of the power of metaphor to shift thinking and open up to new opportunities?   

Do get in touch if you'd like to know more about the services I offer - whether delivering a keynote, coaching or facilitation - whether that's to help you personally or your team to obtain FULL IMPACT to achieve your goals.

CLARITY checklist for FULL IMPACT