What the senior manager can learn from a program manager
- "If you really want to connect with people, there is one main rule that applies: you have to look straight into the camera lens," says presenter Hedda Kise. She teaches leaders how to lead by really getting through the camera and making an impact, whether it's in front of the laptop, in the studio or being filmed out in the environment.
After almost 30 years as a presenter at NRK and TV2, Kise sees enormous potential in managers to inform and influence more effectively. She shows you how to act in front of the camera with conviction, and she helps you write scripts that really hit the mark.
Where to look?
Many people look at themselves on the screen when they talk, others look at the person they're talking to, and still others stare at their cues. The problem is that the camera is not placed behind the various elements, and the people you are talking to will therefore feel that you don't think they are important. The distance becomes greater. You risk losing important opportunities, partners and talents.
-"Make sure you look at the camera 80-90 percent of the time as long as you are visible on the screen, even when you are talking directly to someone or responding to something they say," advises the experienced presenter.
For more information about camera training and the Lead on screen program, read more here.
What works on camera?
-"Now that the pandemic is over, it's clear that the time for amateurs is also over," says Mats Kristensen, CEO and leadership developer at FRONT Leadership.
"Top executives come to us and say they need to learn how to perform on camera with confidence and credibility, and how to put together content that works via the screen," says Kristensen. The solution is the Lead on Screen program with Hedda Kise.
Exaggerate the smile, understate the facts
-"The words you use are of course important, but body language is even more important, because it can easily get in the way," explains the presenter, who suggests a simple rule of thumb: exaggerate the smile, understate the facts.
-The camera zooms in on the upper part of your body, often just your face. This means that your facial expressions and body language are more visible. In addition, people sit and stare at you in a way that they wouldn't do in a physical meeting," explains Kise. If you only smile with your mouth and not your eyes, you will easily be perceived as fake. If you use your hands a lot when you talk, you can appear desperate.
Practical help
Hedda Kise actively uses the camera to illustrate the various presenter moves that are useful for anyone who leads, informs, teaches and influences through the camera.
-"Everyone sees that if I don't look through the camera lens, I come across as unfocused, arrogant and unengaging, whereas if I look through the lens, I create the feeling of really seeing, listening and understanding the person I'm talking to, while at the same time providing lots of energy and creating engagement," says Hedda Kise, who believes that managers should see the camera as a great advantage, not a necessary evil.
More proximity
-"If you look through the lens, smile with your eyes and tone down the use of arm movements, the fact that the camera is zoomed in on you will give you the opportunity to create more closeness with the person you're talking to than in a physical meeting," says Kise.
- "If you occasionally lean really close to the camera lens, while smiling with your eyes and speaking a little more slowly, you're guaranteed to gain the other person's attention and trust," Kise advises.
Take the lead
The need to take the lead - also on camera - became clear during the TAKE LEAD conference just before the summer. Hedda Kise was the presenter and showed two short videos on the big screen that illustrated some of the many presenter tricks that managers and leadership developers can use to make a bigger impact. Her Lead on Screen presentation received an outstanding average of 9 out of 10 possible points from the participants at what is Norway's largest conference for leadership developers.
-"I quickly gained very useful and practical knowledge about how to convey messages and influence more through the camera," wrote one of the participants in the evaluation.
Quick and easy
-"The worst thing I know is talking around the porridge. That's why I teach all the presenter tricks as quickly as possible so that managers can focus all their energy on the content," says Kise, who has experience of managing others and knows how important time is for managers who want to stay on top. Throughout her journalistic career as a presenter, she has worked with tight deadlines.
Studio solution
Many managers are motivated by the fact that they can influence and inform far more people, far more quickly.
- "Now we can also offer a practical studio solution where managers can get the help they need to make professional recordings or live broadcasts quickly and easily," says Kise. "Some want help with just the performance or technique, others want help with the script and content.
The future of leadership
The new normal involves more use of cameras in communication with customers, partners and employees. Meetings on Teams and video communication are just the beginning of what's to come. People are increasingly distributed. In addition, the next generation of employees will prefer to be communicated to via the screen. For millennials to want to work for your business - and stay there - you as a manager need to be up to date in terms of communication via camera.
Warning
Kise warns against assuming that what works in a physical meeting will also work on camera. It often has the opposite effect, and you can lose all credibility and trust in an instant. When you make a mistake on camera, it becomes extremely obvious and can have far greater consequences. In front of the camera, you don't have your usual confidence and you can easily appear insecure. You can't influence, engage and empower others the way you want to.
- On camera, you need to use everything from tone of voice, body language and clothing to lighting, location, backgrounds and props to capture interest, build trust, intimacy and community. Intuitively, you need to know which words to use so that it hits, motivates, engages and influences as much as possible
Adventurous effects
-"It's particularly rewarding to help managers who are initially afraid of the camera or see it as a time waster," says Kise, highlighting several positive effects of learning how to act in front of the camera. "You can reach far more people, far more quickly. Your employees will feel that you are more present. You will forge stronger ties with your partners. You'll gain more understanding from your customers. Less travel contributes positively to your environmental footprint.
Lead on Screen
- You can really make a difference in the world with the help of a small camera," says the experienced presenter who is passionate about teaching all the presenter tricks so that it's easy to understand and do yourself.
- Some want a lecture, others want a half-day work shop, and still others want one-on-one or small group coaching," says Hedda Kise, who together with FRONT Leadership has also developed a Lead on Screen leadership program with four modules over six months.
