Jump Starters
Mastermind Consulting Network


Critical Thinking:

Avoid scams and false conclusions. Every day people are trying to influence your opinions, generally with arguments that appeal to the emotions. Use critical thinking to find bogus arguments and false promises. Try this the next time you are in a meeting or even watching the news.

  1. What is the context? Where and how is the argument made?
  2. Who is the source? What is his or her expertise? What is the source’s bias?
  3. What is the problem? Is it vague, or ambiguous? What is a specific example?
  4. Who is the intended audience? What are their biases or beliefs?
  5. What reasons support the conclusion presented. Is the support factual or emotional rhetoric?

Influencing People:

People want others to be like them. Learn everything you can about those you seek to influence before meeting with them. Change your approach to reference their interests or concerns and use language that fits their environment and background. Your audience is more likely to become emotionally involved when you frame your issues in their context!

Total Concentration:

Total concentration is necessary when learning something totally new or very complex like statistics, anatomy, music, or a language. Total concentration involves using imagination and engaging your full intellect. Write down all key questions, and review them at every opportunity. Whenever you are relaxing quietly you will be tempted to think about them. Add more concentration by posting reminders throughout your home or workspace. Then the answers are learned or arrived at, place them in very small print at the bottom. Frequently you will absorb the questions and answers by writing them down and will not even need to look at them afterward to clearly remember them.

Presentations:

Begin presentation with a story that illustrates the subject of your presentation and why it is relevant and important to your audience. The story must engage the audience’s emotions and make their intellect look for facts to support the emotions. Make sure the story is applicable to the subject and contains enough detail that the audience can identify with the issues and outcomes illustrated!

Headlines:

Always make sure that your visuals and headlines convey a complementary message. If the senses of sight and sound are conveying conflicting information, confusion will reign.

Retention:

The most powerful memory device is to teach someone else what you have learned. When you attend a class, seminar, speech or participate in a meeting take notes of all key concepts. As soon as possible afterward, review your notes to refresh your memory, and then find an opportunity to present your information to a colleague or interested party. If you choose to create workshops, seminars or speeches that will be marketed to the public, you will need more research which will extend your understanding and add to your income.

Travel:

Set up travel alerts at internet travel sites for destinations you are interested in. These sites will email you alerts when favorable prices are available for your chosen destinations.