Michael Allosso Named Speaker of the Year
(June 9) Michael Allosso doesn’t check his Vistage group ratings after he gives a presentation. But after he recently was mailed feedback from U.K. group presentations, he realized his message resonated. And to a certain degree that surprised him. Why? Because his workshop is built upon brutal honesty, which not everyone can take – but it’s that candor that he believes is behind his exceptionally high ratings from the Vistage community.
“I didn’t think my presentation would score high because I’m not telling them everything they want to hear, I’m telling them everything they need to hear,” he said. But, he continued, “candor is so critical with Vistage members. If they can sense you aren’t being 100 percent truthful with them, they will call you on it. I think they respect the truthfulness of what I have to say.”
This month members and Chairs reaffirmed their appreciation by helping Michael earn this year’s Vistage Speaker of the Year, among the highest honors bestowed upon the speaker community, along with the Speaker Impact Award and Lifetime Achievement.
This is the second year in a row Michael’s been honored for his presentations. In 2006 he was awarded the Member’s Choice Award for his same high-scoring program, “You on Your Best Day.” That award is now referred to as the Fast Track Award.
The Speaker of the Year designation is given to the speaker with the highest average scores in the 2007 calendar year. The presenter must have done 50 or more presentations within those 12 months and have a tenure of two or more years with Vistage.
“I’m so incredibly flattered and honored,” he said in a telephone interview. “I’m so happy to do everyday what I love to do; every day I’m joyous about what I do. And when someone gives you an award on top of loving what you do, it’s just makes it even more incredibly worthwhile.”
Michael began speaking for Vistage in 2004. In 2007, he completed 98 presentations for Vistage within the United States with scores of 4.9 in content and 4.9 in delivery consistently. Over the course of four years, Michael has drastically changed the way members communicate with his program “You on Your Best Day,” which he says has been delivered some 425 times to date to Vistage, Vistage and international groups.
“Michael is an honor to work with and is always willing to book as many speaking engagements as physically possible. He has a great sense of humor and is committed to providing value through his program,” noted Chair Operations Manager Elena Vasquez, speaking on behalf of the entire COA team.
Part of Michael’s popularity as a Vistage speaker comes from not only his content but the way he engages an audience. His background as a professional director/choreographer of numerous plays, films, videos and live events provides him unique tools to augment his talent of instantly pinpointing an individual’s communication skills and shortcomings and to help implement concrete methods of improvement, according to his biography.
His bio states that Michael has directed four films. "You Be the Judge" is a short feature used in the Boston school system to provoke teenage social responsibility. "Diversity Live" is a corporate film that instructs businesses on all levels of diversity sensitivity. In 1999 he won the coveted Eliot Norton Award, Boston’s version of the Tony for his production of "Dealer’s Choice." His feature films include "The Strangler’s Wife" (produced by Roger Corman) and "Bluff" (starring Lenny Clarke).
His range of directing credits stretches from opera companies to pop videos to three Hasty Pudding shows at Harvard University, as well as a musical at New York City’s Lincoln Center. In addition, he’s managed his own improvisational comedy troupe and served as chief administrator to Boston-area professional theaters National Dance Institute and Boston University Theater Institute,/N.E.
As an actor, Michael has appeared in many commercials and corporate films as well as the upcoming feature film "Pink Panther Two" with Steve Martin and on stage in "Marty" with John C. Reilly at the Huntington Theatre and as Felix in "The Odd Couple" opposite Sherman Hemsley of TV’s "The Jeffersons."
He has co-written a revue, "Sunrise, Sunset" in collaboration with famed lyricist Sheldon ("Fiddler on the Roof") Harnick and Tony-nominated actress Maureen Brennan. Michael has co-written three manuals about careers in theater, film and television published by the U.S. Office of Education. He earned his M.F.A. in directing from Boston University and a B.A. in theater arts from Brandeis University.
“Vistage groups have unusually high expectations,” he remarked. “These are people who are already excellent at what they do, and they want to see that excellence in others in return. The standards are very high, and I go in planning to exceed their expectations and my way of doing that is to prepare immaculately. Never, ever take a presentation or group lightly. Treat it as the most important thing in your life at that moment.”
As noted earlier, candidness is also critical. “I don’t go in there and tell them sweet things. I tell them the truth and then back it up with role modeling. And I think they respect that and the lack of hypocrisy. I also provide things they can take home and do right away. Even though they are visionary, a successful piece of any Vistage presentation is to provide them some pragmatic steps they can immediately take.”
Finally, he says, “I have profound respect for who Vistage Chairs and members are. This is not for the faint of heart. You really must be at the top of your game to be a Vistage speaker. You’ll be in front of people who demand you be excellent. If that troubles you, don’t be a Vistage speaker. But if that thought excites you, then by all means come aboard.”