LEADERSHIP
JOEL ZEFF
Finding Your TA DA!
I
always start my presentations with a TA DA!
The whole audience stands up. We count to
three, stretch our hands high in the air and
yell out “TA DA!” People laugh. Some audience members applaud. And then we do it again.
We were all kids at some point. We built block
towers and called them space ships. We rode a bike
for the first time. We used the bathroom by ourselves for the first time. We tied our shoes. We
drew orange unicorns, purple trees and eight legged
dog/cat/whales. And after each glorious achievement, we yelled “TA DA!” We announced to the
world and to ourselves that we accomplished something. As we aged, we stopped giving ourselves a
TA DA. Every accomplishment didn’t have a triumph. That should make you sad.
We all work hard. And we still need a TA DA
because it fulfills our basic needs (after food, shelter, water, clothing, WiFi, and Netflix). Like most
things, you have to examine and look closely at the
purpose and reasoning behind the TA DA. To me,
there are five secrets of TA DA:
WE WANT TO FEEL
APPRECIATED
Appreciation is our fuel. We desire more than
a paycheck to be fulfilled and rewarded. During my
presentations, I ask audience volunteers to come to
the stage and perform an improvisation game. The
more applause and laughter they receive from the
audience, the more they do. We all want the appreciation from our team, customers, and managers.
And we also want appreciation from ourselves. That
is the first secret of TA DA. We are announcing to
the world that we appreciate ourselves.
WE WANT TO BE RESPECTED
Giving someone recognition and appreciation
means giving respect. We have worked hard, sacrificed, faced challenges and overcome obstacles.
Sure, we want the appreciation. We also want respect. And if standing up, hands in the air and
yelling “TA DA” doesn’t give you respect, I don’t
know what will.
WE WANT TO BE RECOGNIZED
Recognition is the third secret of the TA DA.
We want someone to notice that we have accomplished something. We want people to pay attention. We want someone to react to our TA DA.
www.aamdhq.org
We want to stand in the crowd and yell out TA
DA so that everyone will notice.
WE WANT TO BE TRIUMPHANT.
There is a pomp and circumstance to the TA
DA. You have to stand up; arms raised and yell it
out. We are sounding our horn of success. We have
finished a report, project, plan, or PowerPoint presentation with an upside down triangle and interlocking circles. We have defeated the dragon. We
want to yell from a mountain top. We want to beat
our chests and scream to the world. Since decorum
is usually in order, the TA DA serves this purpose
without someone taking you to jail.
WE WANT A SURPRISE
When the magician finishes his illusion, there
is gusto, a flourish and a TA DA. We want to be
surprised that the tiger/assistant/plane/helicopter/
seven of hearts has reappeared. The TA DA is always
a surprise. You never know when the need bubbles
up in you. You never know what really deserves a
TA DA. The surprise makes the TA DA even more
exciting.
T
here is no right or wrong way to TA DA.
It can be spontaneous. It can be organized.
The spirit of TA DA is what matters. Here
are three recent ideas I have come across to show
appreciation and spread the spirit of TA DA:
1. Tip of the Hat: To me, one of the best ways
to show appreciation is in front of the whole
team or group. Even better is when the positive
support is spontaneous. At a recent event for
Allstate Insurance, the host started the program
with a segment called Tip of the Hat. The rules
were simple. He put a four minute timer on
the screen. During that time, anyone could
stand and appreciate, thank and recognize another team member or group. The positive
support, words of appreciation, and applause
started the meeting with a huge TA DA. They
start all their big meetings this way.
2. Appreciation Board - This is a variation of Tip
of the Hat. I have recently seen this idea twice.
There is a designated “appreciation board” outside (or inside) the meeting room. Attendees
can write and post appreciation notes to team
members, managers or leaders during the conference. During breaks, everyone is reading the
posted notes or writing new ones. The best part
is reading a few of the notes at the close of the
event.
3. LOVE Letters - There are a thousand different
ways to create a more organized appreciation
program. PrimeWay Federal Credit Union in
Houston has