Author: Jason Hewlett
As I pulled into the gas station in a remote part of southeastern Utah, I was thankful to finally find cell reception to prepare for Watching Yourself. Tethering my phone’s hotspot to my laptop, I hurriedly logged onto the webinar where I was my pre-recorded presentation for a client in Texas, engaging in realtime on […]
As I pulled into the gas station in a remote part of southeastern Utah, I was thankful to finally find cell reception to prepare for Watching Yourself.
Tethering my phone’s hotspot to my laptop, I hurriedly logged onto the webinar where I was my pre-recorded presentation for a client in Texas, engaging in realtime on the CHAT feature with the attendees.
It worked perfectly, and was so fun to see reactions of viewers to my virtual leadership presentation of comedy, music, impressions, stories, and ideas as to how real estate agents could keep The Promise and have a better Work From Home experience during COVID-19 Pandemic craziness.
Question: When was he last time you WATCHED YOURSELF?
If you are Kim Kardashian, and you’re reading this, first off, I’m very offended you’ve never commented on this blog, and secondly, this would be a question you could answer very quickly with:
“I was watching myself JUST NOW!”
But for the rest of us, how often are we not just taking the selfie and posting but rather taking a moment to sit and watch ourselves work?
If you’ve been in the industry of telemarketing, they are RECORDED and have to listen back to their performance with a manager! As if that job isn’t tough enough! Brutal.
When is the last time you re-watched your performance?
Candidly, I find myself watching back quite a few shows and speeches I’ve given, while I’m alone in my office at the video editing bay, and I can watch it objectively in order to share a video online later.
But it’s a WHOLE DIFFERENT ANIMAL watching yourself pre-recorded while others are commenting and chatting about it in realtime on ZOOM!
Let’s just say, terrifying, horrifying, and embarrassing may not be strong enough words for what I experienced – even on a recording and performance the client deemed as “Super Successful!”.
To me – this performance was not as good as the comment section suggested.
You see, I knew I could do better.
Not in the sense of “I’m My Harshest Critic” better…because that’s always there.
But this was a complete realization that I was doing too much:
Trying way too hard to get laughs
Jumping from one thought to another without tying the bow on top
Attempting to create engagement when it caused confusion
Singing a song that didn’t hit the mark
Not singing enough when it could have worked better to drive the point home
Stories that were good in person, but could be done differently on virtual
Etc etc etc
Remember: I MADE the video 2 weeks prior to the event, and watched it back alone in my office, yes I even thought it was AWESOME! And then I confidently sent it to the client.
2 weeks later, there I was, watching it LIVE with hundreds of realtime attendees, and that was a completely new game in how I viewed my creation and what could be improved immediately for the next one.
After the video presentation ended, I turned off the computer, sitting in the parking lot of a gas station, and I had some choices to make, accountability to face…and it was simple, really:
I have room to improve – AND – I know EXACTLY what needs to be done!
The power of Watching Yourself while others are watching you is kind of an “Inception” moment – a dream within a dream – I was looking around for a top to spin and see which level I was in.
How often do we subject ourselves to this level of improvement?
Are we fearful of the reality check we’re about to experience?
Most likely, you would do anything you can to get away from this type of scrutiny.
But the greatest athletes demand watching the tape of their last game, golf swing, or the loss of a championship.
The best singers listen to the recording, over and over, until they get their best on tape.
The best actors insist on watching the last take, in order to do better on the next roll of film.
WATCHING YOURSELF is The Promise of Performance Improvement.
How can you foster an environment in your office/workplace to make this an exciting and positive experience?
The Watch Yourself Checklist:
Schedule a Performance Viewing Party – Announce: We are going to watch back over the last ZOOM sales call/performance/leadership meeting and discuss our findings
Start with The Leader – IF you are the Leader of this whole idea, you must begin with yourself
Be Vulnerable and Ready – Know that there may be some digs but lead the feedback to start with…
Every Positive Possible – Challenge your team to ONLY name the positives at first (write them down!)
Ask One-By-One for 2 Improvement Adjustments – Allow Team Members to give 2 thoughts on how to improve
Solutions – Let each Team Member know they can ONLY say what needs to be improved if they have a suggestion and solution for how it can be
What is your Promise for Improvement?
Watch Yourself! It will blow your mind at how rapidly you level up the next performance.
Comment below about your experience doing this process, I’d love to know how this works for you, as it has changed all of my performances in the past week!
~ jason hewlett
Contact Us at WeSpeak Global and follow us on Twitter
The articles, video and images embedded on these pages are from various speakers and talent.
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.
Over the last four weeks, I’ve elaborated on what I call the Closing the Loop with Cycle of Listening. This consists of: Step 1: Recognizing the Unsaid – Unspoken things in your culture’s organization to recognize that your people aren’t telling their entire truth. Step 2: Seeking to Understand – Leaning in to understand someone’s perspective and […]
Whatever you call them, Generation Z – the youngest generation is changing the rules, challenging our boundaries and recreating a generationally cohesive workforce! My first job in high school was working at a grim bagel shop called the Bagel Baker. This was pre-Starbucks, where being a barista has an element of cache’. This was […]
As Covid has made it’s away around the globe it’s brought steep challenges and tremendous loss with it as It Is What It Is from Niki Seberini. Having said that, we must also acknowledge it’s gifted us with lessons in resilience, unconventional connections and a need to recalibrate both our internal and external compass. We […]
While microwave ovens were created for convenience here is Why You Should Toss Your Microwave, the dangers and negative effects you are about to read just may make you want to stop using it altogether. As more research has been done, studies have shown that not only the microwave itself can cause danger to […]
Imagine attending an event where everything seems to fall into place effortlessly with a Skilled Master of Ceremonies. The transitions between segments are seamless, the audience is engaged and entertained, and the overall atmosphere is charged with energy and enthusiasm. What you may not realize is that behind this seemingly effortless experience is a skilled […]
Your first time as a manager is a learning experience as much as anything else and what is the best way to build trust? How do you lead your team well? Who should you hire? Where do you draw the boundaries with former colleagues who are now direct-reports? WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO BUILD TRUST? […]
You can turn an unpredictable world into predictable results. It comes down to the practices we have in our businesses and with those around us. Even though we might not be able to predict the exact timing of a breakthrough, the practices create the conditions necessary to have a breakthrough, even making that breakthrough inevitable […]
Imagine this scenario: You are considered THE BEST in the world at your chosen profession – according to critics, peers, well known in the public – and suddenly you MUST change your career. Does this thought excite you, or terrify you? If it is YOUR choice, then it’s a great thing! If it’s doctor’s orders […]
Our Mission
© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME
