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One of the golden rules of conversation is often said to be 'don't talk about politics or religion'. 

That rule set up an interesting challenge for me on my trip to Siberia last week. It was inevitable that people would ask me for my thoughts on the recent situation in the Crimea. With President Putin being painted as an arch villain in the West and being seen as a strong, popular leader back home, how could I avoid such questions, or tactfully deflect them? 

In the end I didn't need to worry. Yes, people did ask me for my opinion and yes, they were very supportive of Putin's actions. But there was no trap set for me and no uncomfortable situations arose. 

I admitted that I didn't know the full story and only had the Western media's take on recent events. I asked questions and learned a lot from the Russian perspective. Rather than fighting one corner I listened and discussed. 

Anyone who has seen my Facebook updates will have seen my occasional updates of a political nature. I'm not affiliated with any particular party or school of thought, in fact I'm in the 'none of the above' camp in UK politics. But I studied Political Science at university and still have strong opinions. 
 
So, should I hide those opinions and be safe? Or share them and risk offending people? 
 
In my opinion (and that's what it is, an opinion), the best position lies somewhere in the middle (yes, I guess I am a liberal and comfortable sitting on the fence!). Don't be afraid to share your opinions but be respectful of other people's and listen to what they have to say. Don't be dogmatic, be open to debate and discussion. 
 
The key word is respect. Whether speaking about politics or religion you don't need to necessarily hide your views away (unless they are generally considered extreme and  offensive) but respect other people's views and their entitlement to hold them. 
 
It can certainly makes for interesting conversation....and you might even learn something new. 
 
What do you think? 
 
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I hope you enjoy the newsletter and look forward to your feedback. Please do check out the blogs listed on the right hand side of the page for lots of extra ideas, tips and thoughts. 
 
Let me know what you think. 

 

If you're serious about developing a networking and referrals strategy that can take your business to a new level, or you are interested in booking me for a speech or training session for your team, find out more details on our website or you can contact me on:

  

Tel: 07930 417833
Skype: andylopata   

I look forward to hearing from you.

     

Andy 


� All material copyright H & A Lopata ltd 2014. All rights reserved.

 

Video Tip: Drop your preconceptions

When people heard I was speaking in Siberia they were shocked and thought I was crazy, mainly because of long-held and out of date preconceptions. 

They couldn't have been more wrong and I would have missed out on a wonderful experience if I had listened to them.  How often do you make the same mistake of missing out by letting preconceptions cloud your judgement? 

Networking Tip: What are you missing out on?
Networking Tip: What are you missing out on?

Interviewing the Experts: Grant Leboff on creating a sticky message

In my talks I often suggest that your message should be 'sticky', easy for people to remember. But how do you craft a message that people can recall with ease? 

I asked that question of Grant Leboff, the author of the excellent Sticky Marketing and my current read Stickier Marketing
  
How can you get your message to stick?
How can you get your message to stick?

Just for Fun: A life transformed
 
A beautiful video has appeared online recently, one that shares the transformation of a new born baby into a teenager. 
 
Frans Hofmeester filmed his daughter Lotte every week from her birth until the age of 14 and put the results  into a mesmerising four minutes. 
   
Portrait of Lotte - 0 to 14 years in 4 min. (The Original)
Portrait of Lotte - 0 to 14 years in 4 min. (The Original)
 
 
Just for Fun Bonus edition: BOOM!!!
 
Decisions, decisions! Having finished this week's edition of 'Connecting is not Enough' I saw this wonderful video and just had to share it with you. 

It's another home video by a doting father. This father, however, just happens to work for the Dreamworks Studio. And it seems as though he's guilty of bringing his work home...
   
Action Movie Kid: DreamWorks Animator Turns Son into Superhero 
Action Movie Kid: DreamWorks Animator Turns Son into Superhero
 
 
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What people say...
Conference Speaker and Trainer on Networking and Referrals Strategies 
Conference Speaker and Trainer on Networking and Referrals Strategies
  
Veronica Vasilyeva &
Julia Tabula
Tabula Business School
Irkutsk, Siberia
  

Andy was the lead-off speaker in our inaugural year of the Russell Women's Network.  I personally have used his tips and bits from his speech to expand my network exponentially , as have my colleagues."
 
Jill Naas,
Director,
Investment Division.
Russell Investments