COWBOYS AND COMMUNICATION

A cowboy gets up everyday and knows he has a job to do…to get a herd of independently thinking cows across the prairie to a siding, where they will be shipped to market. He gains satisfaction from doing his job well, and will continue to do so today, and tomorrow, and the day after that…because he is, a cowboy!  Along the way he will battle unforgiving elements, sickness, boredom, balking cows, demanding terrain and loneliness.  In our search as professional speakers, to become effective communicators, we too will encounter numerous challenges…challenges that when overcome, will become the very foundations for our continuing success!

A cowboy doesn't think anything special about his skills and talents in roping, cutting, riding, or throwing…he just uses them as part of his daily tools in doing his job.  Similarly with our communication skills, we need to take them into our daily lives 
and workplace to become truly proficient and effective in their use. 
Our audiences deserve our best! This is the essence of true professionalism!
This is the secret of CAPS & NSA in helping us to reach our goals and our audiences.

A cowboy doesn't whine when he comes to a detour or problem. He doesn't cry when his horse throws him.  He gingerly picks himself up, dusts himself off, and gets back on again. When he comes to a dry hole, he simple mounts his horse and rides on in search of a well to water himself and his livestock.  Neither should we whine when we go thru a dry spell…a relationship that doesn't work, a business that doesn't perform, or a speech that doesn't quite come off as well as we'd planned.  We can, like the cowboy, simply pick ourselves up, refocus our energies, and move on 
in search of our future success!

A cowboy is the quintessential role model of the entrepreneurial communicator; in choosing his words carefully, planning and executing his actions wisely, and persistently focusing his energies on the job at hand.  He listens slowly to hear the hidden meaning and then acts with confidence. We can learn well from this role model, and can apply these same traits and dedications to our own success
 as speakers and communicators. Our audiences deserve our best!

Adapted from the original written 1995
Copyright 2002 Bob Hooey Accredited Professional Speaker 
 e-mail: IdeaMan@canada.com URL: http://www.ideaman.net