Positive About Business introduces interviews with inspirational business people who will answer 5 questions! In the Spotlight this time, we talk with Sheena Walker.
Sheena Walker is an internationally known speech coach and performance consultant.
A rich history of applying proven strategies to her client’s business, careers and life; Sheena is renowned within the fields of Business Development, International Speech Coaching, Public Speaking and Performance Coaching.
Q1) Top Strategy To Keep Focused?
A: Can you be an Athlete in a corporate world?
What does success mean to you? It may be increased productivity or an increase in services, but the key for me it’s having a “Game Plan” in order to be an outstanding performer. Success, being focused and being a high performer, being different, extraordinary are words that have dominated my career, hobbies, and my life, unconsciously always aiming for champion results. If there were one word that defined a champion it would be commitment.
Many times I have considered the principles that drive top athletes, sports people and business people to success; what makes them stand out; just what do they do differently?
It is this: when everyone else is tired, exhausted and burned out from the battle the great ones just keep digging and digging till they reach a high point.
Critical Success Formula:
- Define a performance plan
- Have unique tools & techniques to improve performance
- Optimize human performance to gain advantage
- Be positioned in an area of expertise
- Committed to performance coaching
- Adopt new daily habits leading to habitual excellence
Q2) Who Has Influenced You in How You Approach Your Work?
A: “On Your Marks, Get Set, Go!”
That’s just what I did when I made a decision to train in the Tony Robbins camp to become an Advanced Results Coach. Tony’s inspirations and mindset matched my own. I became more obsessed in uncovering what makes a champion what makes business people high achievers. This led me to writing 30 short books on People Performance which I use in the workplace to gain a competitive advantage. In these books I had tools tips, and techniques that can be used in business immediately to give companies the winning edge.
“Winning isn’t everything, it’s the Only Thing”
After studying and learning from the world of Sport and Business and what makes them standout I developed strategies, habits, and processes and created a unique signature model that I could share with entrepreneurs and the business world:
“The Secret of a Corporate Athlete” which is structured around 7 key areas of performance improvement that breaks performance boundaries.
Q3) What inspires you?
A: My Mantra – “Be around people who Celebrate Success, not those that tolerate you”.
So I can operate at the level of WOW, I spend my time at World Class sporting events.
Around inspirational and high performers, I get excited watching winners who have the competitive edge. You see, language and people help shape who you are. I need to practice what I preach – Be an Ambassador.
As I listened to Paul McGinley give Fast Forward feedback to the Ryder Cup team at Gleneagles. The team listened intently to how they would execute play, which their competitor would not anticipate.
As I stood ecstatic at Murrayfield on Saturday watching Scotland win against England for the first time in a decade, I could not contain my delight at the manager Gregor Townsends “Brilliance at a Glance” achievements.
Every company and managers’ goal should be to help their employees maximise their potential and strive for greatness.
Are you ready to work behind the scenes to boost staffs performance, imagine if you had the power to influence and improve your organisation’s culture and performance, delivering gold medal results?
Q4) Best advice you have been given?
A: “Speakers are not born they are shaped and trained”
Having worked in the corporate world and public sector, a huge part of my roles has been recruitment, HR, Operations and have all involved public speaking. I realised that in line with being an achiever I had to be able to demonstrate a match winning performance. Achieving peak performance in my presentation skills was the difference between winning and losing in the boardroom, at meetings and winning new contracts.
This was the start of a new journey of development, which saw me embarking on a new career path in how I could become an international speaker learning the art of stage craft and presentation skills working with production teams in front of the camera.
Watching Mo Farah in Glasgow at British Athletics Championship recently. I watched as he walked back and forward did a few stretches, ignoring the people around him. Here was Mo a world-class athlete approaching the start line in an important competition and was displaying slight nervousness. Athletes don’t wing it “Ever” they prepare, plan and train to stand out from their competitors. That same sensation is no stranger to the boardroom filled with senior executives at the beginning of their presentation.
My ultimate aim was always how can I help and share these skills so that other entrepreneurs and business owners can “ Master their Business Message” in a unique but simple way. As a presentation skills coach, clients can be trained to position themselves as the go to person in their industry.
Q5) What’s A Productivity Tip?
A: “Successful People Have Successful Habits”
When I was a competitive swimmer, I trained every morning at 6am. Yes I really did! My coach, Mr. Blair, who could be a little grumpy, greeted me at the poolside. As I prepared for my training session, Mr. Blair raised his voice (you’d have heard it in London): “Sheena, just what do you think you are doing?”
I looked up and replied: “I am just dipping my toe in the water”.
He shook his head, glared and retorted: “Sheena if you want to be an elite performer, stop fixing and testing all the time!”
This was a lesson I’ve never forgotten and is as relevant to me now as it was all those years ago. Successful people have successful habits and they don’t toe dip and procrastinate.
Have your best year yet. Stop being stuck. Make this year legendary.
Sheena