14 Years of Sunday Coffee: The Lessons We Shared

By John Millen

As I bring the Sunday Coffee newsletter to a close, I asked you to share one takeaway that stuck with you over the years. I am deeply moved by the stories you sent back. 

Your feedback serves as a beautiful reminder of the impact this journey has had, not just for you, but for me as well.

My teachings here and with my clients have focused on communication, leadership and personal development.

Below I’ve organized many of your reflections along these themes, highlighting how we’ve communicated, led and grown together.

Communication

Presentations as Service: "The best advice was to view a presentation as being of service to the audience. That shift in mindset helped remove the pressure of my own performance and allowed me to focus on delivering information in a helpful manner."

The Power of the Pause: "The articles on giving solid presentations and the 'power of the pause' were incredibly helpful, teaching me how to prepare and execute successfully."

Effective Requests: "I read your advice about making effective requests to my children. My 10-year-old took the advice to heart and now provides a rationale for his requests to increase the chances of hearing 'yes.' It’s a habit we both practice."

Intent and Interpretation: "I now spend more time looking at how other people might view and interpret the things I say. It has become important to me that when I communicate, I make my intent as clear as possible."

Storytelling in Business: "One takeaway is to create stories to relate business content. It has helped me connect the 'whys' during strategy changes and made me a more concise speaker."

The Basics Matter: "I keep it simple: we can all be better communicators, and doing so matters."

Ice Breakers: "One recommendation I recall was to smile when giving a presentation. It helps break the ice and makes the audience feel better as well."

Practical Application: "I recently forwarded the article about 'mastering difficult conversations' to a colleague. The bullet points are great reminders."

Leadership

Optimism as a Leadership Tool: "I tried to take the optimism of your newsletter with me to lead my teams through tough and challenging situations. People usually don’t remember the words, but they remember how you treated them."

Easy to apply: “Thank you for sharing your thoughts over the years! They have been most welcome and easy to both understand and apply. I have used their wisdom in my own work, life and mentoring of young people.”

Supporting the Next Generation: "I loved sending your articles to the leaders I support. It provided them with tools to become more effective in their roles."

Mentorship: "I’ve photocopied your articles to share with my students, as young people often lack insight into the importance of good relationships with bosses and peers."

Reflection: "If only I knew then what I know now. I would have been a better manager and speaker had I applied these lessons earlier."

Inspiration for Graduates: "Your year-end messages to graduates have been an inspiration, and I share them with all the graduates I connect with in that season."

Personal Development

Finding Balance and Discipline: "After reading your email about Transcendental Meditation, I found a local instructor, took the class, and have been practicing it regularly."

Consistency Matters: "My biggest takeaway was what you modeled by publishing so regularly and so well. I learned a lot about communicating as an individual without a corporate platform."

Common Sense Reminders: "Your newsletter served as a consistent reminder of 'common sense' practices I had stopped doing. It encouraged me to go back to applying what had worked in the past."

Life-Long Growth: "Even in retirement, I have found your newsletters to be worthwhile. I have also forwarded them and encouraged my children and their spouses to subscribe."

Thought-Provoking Ideas: "Every one of your newsletters was interesting and thought-provoking. I have even kept several to read later for my own growth."

Remember: focus on how you help your listeners, not on yourself. That will help you to be clear, concise and engaging.

Keep communicating,

John

P.S. — Please keep in touch. You can contact me here.