"You can tell by the way I use my walk, I'm ......"
....an influential and persuasive person, with real value to add to the conversation.
Not quite how the Bee Gees had it in their 'Stayin' Alive' original soundtrack, but a real eye-opener to us all at the 'WondrousWomen@Work'© event in London recently.
Although we were a group of experienced professional women (and a man too!), we each learned very specifically how our own physical entry into a standard business meeting room created a wide range of perceptions in the minds of the others in the room.
Words such as professional, warm, controlled, authoritative and expert were used during a range of exercises where each person entered the meeting room and introduced themselves for 2 minutes. Yet, these same individuals also heard perceptions such as detached, unsure, modest, fast-paced and repetitive.
Happily, we then discussed a variety of tools and techniques that can be used to modify how you personally want to come across to a particular audience.
Perhaps Sting got closer to the mark than the Bee Gees. When walking into a business meeting, remember that very different perceptions can arise in the minds of each audience member. So know your mannerisms. Know your audience. After all, "every move you make, every step you take, I'll be watching you."
And will the others in the room be making poorly-informed judgements about your capability based on those perceptions?
