More tips for making positive impressions in meetings and introductions

1-     From a personal perspective, I now these make the  following recommendations :

a.      Clothing-wear the high -end clothing from your wardrobe. Prior to the important introduction, try the outfit on first and wear it front of a full-length mirror… Practice sitting down and shaking hands as well in front of this mirror to see how your clothing presents itself.   Also, men and women, bring a stain away pen for emergencies to remove stains and spills on your clothing, just in case something happens before you meet this person(s).

b.     Smile, but not excessively during your introduction.  Before the introduction,  please check a pocket mirror or car mirror to see that nothing is between your teeth , and  that there are not any pen marks, dust particles, etc.. are on your face, either.

c.      Eye contact- Try to not to stare intensely( eyeball- to- eyeball—maintain very direct eye contact long enough to note their eye colour), but focus on the space between the eye brows. Shift your gaze  to  the person’s eyebrows  after a few seconds  so they know they have your interest. But do not lose their attention by having your eyes wonder during the introduction.

d.     Body scents-  Both men and women  should not  wear  any scented deodorant,  cologne or perfume as a lot of people have allergies/ chemical intolerance these days.

e.      Breath-  Always carry and use breath mints or breath spray.  Don’t use gum to freshen your breath as you may forget you have it in your mouth.

f.      Tone of voice- watch that your voice is even toned- not harsh or anxious Try to avoid having any dairy products before such an introduction as they tend to create more mucus and congestion, and you may end up coughing, or sounding raspy or harsh.  If you are thirsty, drink water for hydration. .

g.     Posture- don’t hunch over or slouch.  Your posture gives away your attitude and confidence level.. Remember that your stance portrays how you feel about yourself.

h.     Content of introduction- try to be articulate and not ramble on.  Say what you have to in a concise manner. 

i.       Listening.- shut off your own  noisy thoughts in your mind and focus on their words - not yours. 

We are irrevocably intertwined

We are irrevocably intertwined, interrelated... what we do to ourselves- we also do unto others. This is something we must acknowledge and honour every day of our lives. Acknowledging and honouring this is one of the many steps in moving toward establishing caring dialogue and eventually to holistic leadership in the workplace.

Holistic Employee Engagment

As you work on your communication and career goals, you might like to reflect on nurturing and creating holistic employee engagement.

Holistic employee engagement is really about creating a positive influence on people s behaviour.

This goal can be achieved through many of the following means:

1. Support them emotionally, within the context of workplace communications
2. Provide guidance and positive feedback for performance enhancement
3. Recognize good work publicly and openly
4. Demonstrate a commitment to honouring their views and opinions—ask for their perspectives and act on their workplace needs and wishes- what is needed to do their job
5. Work one- on -one in positive collaboration with employees on their work
6. Avoid too little or too much guidance
7. Avoid detailing to extreme measures about their respective projects
8. Avoid unconstructive feedback by addressing only the issue at hand—not all their past transgressions at once or vague comments that do not address specific work behaviours and performance..
9. Do not hold grudges—move forward each day in your attempt to engage them holistically

The importance of body language in an interview

Here below is a great article on the significance of body language in an interview. Baseline magazine has a wonderful career management section on it site.. You can sign up for its articles offered through Baseline Briefing.

http://www.baselinemag.com/c/a/Business-Intelligence/Body-Language-Influences-Hiring-Decisions-277906/?kc=BLBLBEMNL08202010STR5

Listening in Relationship Building

There is an expression that says: “ Our creator gave us one mouth and two ears for a reason” This adage illustrates the significance of listening in human relationships, and particularly for career success.

Dale Carnegie from his book “ The Leader in You: How to Win Friends, Influence People and Succeed in a Changing World” provides these pearls of wisdom based on the power of listening in human relationship building. ( p. 92-93)

1- Listening is still the best way to learn.
2- People respond to those who listen to them
3- Listen patiently with an open mind.
4- Be sincere about it
5- Encourage people when you are listening to express their ideas fully.

And never forget this one he wrote”“ Nobody is more persuasive than a good listener.” Dale Carnegie…