My concept for a Talkshow may differ from yours. For me, the concept of a Talkshow is very broad. I could call it coaching or counseling, but that gets the certified coaches and counselors upset – and probably for a good reason. I could call it a discussion or conversation, but that sounds too laid back. There are elements of psychotherapy I have integrated into my style, but surely you don’t want to call what you do ”therapy.” I decided to call what I do a Talkshow because I like that idea and see it as a flexible idea (see the list at the beginning of this course).
Your time frame should be your reference point. Watch any television Talkshow, and you will see that the typical time frame for a guest is almost always a maximum of seven minutes. If you wish, call what you do an interview and then you can go longer, or define your Talkshow as long-form interviews like many podcasts are.
Here, we will go through the phase of a short interview, conversation, or discussion.
Why so short? Number one is that there is so much stuff out there that most people don’t have the time or patience to listen or watch for long periods if it isn’t something they deeply care about or want to learn. But my main reason to keep it short is that I am personally fascinated by how far you can come if you ask the right questions and follow up in an exemplary manner – which is the essence of what we will be doing here on this course. My focus will therefore be on the 3 to 20-minute interview/conversation.
Please note that these skills will come in handy in any conversation, not just when you have your show or do an interview. You have dozens of conversations every day that are very brief. What if you could leave each conversation with the other person feeling encouraged, feeling a thought has been clarified, with the next step within 48 hours on their agenda? See my free course in the Empowerment Education school on Teachable called One-foot coaching and conversations.
No, you don’t have to (and shouldn’t) make yourself into this question-and prodding machine. Still, you certainly can help each other to clarify a small part of each other’s values, approaches, ideas, and next steps, all in just a short conversation or interview. This is what I’ll be showing you, and you’ve seen a few examples already.
The form you choose is up to you. There are so many alternatives these days, from podcasts to audiobooks to videos, and so many options for where you can store, distribute and market what you have to offer. Does it matter where you place your Talkshow? Of course, you want to look for a place where you are comfortable, maybe already have a following, or where you can most easily find the people you wish to reach out to.
Watch the interview example with Felix.
This is one of my favorite interviews, also a part of the Eureka Moments for Teachers course. It’s with Felix and about his learning process. Isn’t it amazing how well children can explain their learning process? One purpose of this online course is to encourage teachers and leaders to have these short strength-based conversations. This talk takes nine minutes. Isn’t that a very wise and efficient investment in relationship-building and strength-finding? My job is to find the keywords that describe how he learns and affirm his abilities. Do this by summarizing keywords and explaining the skills, attitudes, and behaviors that led to success.
