There are many ways to incorporate activities that build our executive presence into our calendars. What is this concept of executive presence? It is the combined perceptions that others form about us through the ways we present ourselves at work and in key external forums: through our attire and grooming, our chosen actions and our verbal behaviours.
We are walking and talking billboards that generate self-messages
throughout the day. Perhaps a slightly scary thought but it does not have to be daunting if
we keep the following acronym up front and central to our thoughts: L A W – our looks, our actions and our words.
There are a myriad of ways that executives, managers and
professionals can shape their executive presence and we cover many of them in
the People Results’ Executive Presence workshop.
Whenever I am asked, “What is the one most effective way of communicating
my executive presence?” the answer I give is always “Look for and eagerly take
up opportunities to present yourself and your ideas in front of groups.”
Typically we shrink back from being the one to present to
the Board of Directors, to a group of major clients or customers or at a
business or industry conference. It is
easier to let someone else do the presenting.
It is never the right time for us and we rationalise why this is so
because we are “too busy, “not good at that presenting stuff,” “got more
important things to focus on,” and so on.
Why do we feel like we have to
climb the mental equivalent of Mount Kilimanjaro
to create and deliver a group presentation?
We are generally very familiar with the information we are presenting on
and even the outcomes we wish to achieve.
So this is not the difficult part.
We may fear doing a group
presentation because something could go wrong.
We could make a mistake or forget what we want to say and go “blank” in front
of everyone. Or we don’t like being the
centre of everyone’s attention. That feeling
when everyone’s eyes are boring into you and the weight of their expectations feels
like a heavy burden. Let someone else do
the presentation of the new Strategic Plan to the Board, we think, even though
we contributed 80% of the ideas and effort that went into it.
Our caution is caused by fear
that is not rational; it is emotional. For
the most part, the causes of our fear lie in childhood experiences and possibly
in our previous attempts to present before a group at work or in school.
In my view, the biggest reason why many of us do not become great
presenters is that we simply don’t do enough presenting. There is a secret to becoming a very good
presenter. The secret is to present,
present and present. Most of us only
present when we absolutely have to do so.
Therefore we are always in the foothills of the mountain rather than experiencing
the climb and the glorious view at the top of the mountain.
So rather than struggling to get out of presenting, struggle to get into
presenting by looking for and volunteering to present over and over again.
Attending a course such as People
Results’ Confident Presentation Skills workshop, reading books and other
materials, watching and listening to others’ presentations are all good ways to
learn. But they are not going to get you
out of the foothills of the mountain. The only sure way is to present, present and
present and one day it will seem easy.
On that day, you will have reached the level of the successful and
confident public speaker.
Regards
Lynne Lloyd
Managing Director
People Results
Telephone 07 3910 1003
People Results' Mission: Leaders who Confidently Think, Say and Do.
p.s. Our popular One-Day Confident Presentation Skills workshop being held on Wednesday 18th April, 2012 in Brisbane. Numbers are limited so please register early to avoid disappointment.
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