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Five tips to communicate executive presence.
More than ever, companies in male dominated
fields, like science, technology, engineering, they need women to be fully engaged,
especially as leaders.
What that means for women is that strong communication skills are more important than ever.
Many women I work with, they don't need a massive overhaul.
They just need a little bit of fine tuning and a little bit of awareness
to communicate the executive presence that they want.
That's what we are going to talk about in this video.
Five tips to communicate more executive presence.
Tip 5 is remember this mantra:
Before you communicate,
whether you respond to an email,
respond to feedback that someone just gave you,
just take a deep breath and think about what you want to say before you start to speak.
And I'm not saying this because of this stereotype that women tend to be more emotional.
This is important for everyone, especially in today's culture where we are overwhelmed and everything
is moving so fast. A small break, a small breath before you communicate goes a long way.
Tip number 4:
"So I don't really know."
"Guess what I'm trying to say is."
The biggest issue I see in communication for men and women is people take too long to get to their point.
But, when women do this, they get interrupted.
So, if you want to decrease the amount that you are getting interrupted, be concise.
Two frameworks to help you do this.
The first is called PRE.
It's really simple, really effective.
The second is:
"What's your point."
So what is, "Why is it important?"
Now what, "What should we do as a result?" "What's the next step?"
Both of these frameworks can really really help you get to your point.
Tip number 3: Take up space.
Unfortunately, women are told their whole lives to make themselves smaller.
Think about it. We sit with our legs across.
We have our shoulders up.
Don't do that when you want to project confidence.
Stand with your legs shoulder width apart.
Move around the room. Have open gestures.
Also, research shows that there is a connection between confident body language and actually feeling confident.
Also, think about talking up space with your voice.
Have a nice strong volume.
One thing you can do is to stand up when you present.
If that feels weird, use the whiteboard as an excuse to stand up.
You are going to be above everyone and you're going to command more attention that way.
Tip #2: Don't discount yourself with apologies or disclaimers.
Common things you probably hear in the workplace all the time are,
"I don't really like presenting."
"Let me run through this quickly before I bore you."
"Sorry."
"Sorry, I have something to say."
Why say sorry?
Instead, say, "I have something to add."
"When would be a good time to talk?"
It's a small thing but it can communicate that you are not confident.
An easy way to decrease apologies or disclaimers
is just to tell a coworkers, tell a friend, tell a female friend, that you are working
on this and get feedback.
I used to say 'sorry' all the time. People gave me feedback.
And now I do it much less just because I'm aware of it.
Tip #1:
"Hi, my name is Anne."
"Hi, my name is Anne."
Hear the difference?
There's a big difference in the sense of confidence and credibility that I project.
Uptalk is when you finish a sentence as if it's a question--with a rising intonation.
Instead of,
"I'm really excited to be here today."
Are you excited to be here today? Because I can't tell by the way you said it.
Finish a sentence with a lowering intonation.
Think about emphasizing words within the sentence, instead of at the end.
For example, "Hi, my name is Anne. I am really excited to be here today."
Men and women both do it. But, it does communicate that you are not confident in what you are saying.
Okay, now you have the tools to communicate the executive presence that you want.
And these things aren't rocket science. It just takes a little bit of awareness, a little bit of practice,
and you will see changes in no time.
For coaching on executive presence, contact us at Lighthouse Communications.
And, subscribe to our videos using the link below.