Molding Perceptions in a
Political Year
This newsletter is
hitting your desktop just a few days before one of the most critical
election cycles in American history. Few would debate
the magnitude of that statement. And there have been many
interesting lessons in communication style that have come out of
this political season.
No matter who you
may be voting for, know this - our impressions of the
candidates have been shaped as much by perception as they have by
our understanding of their political views. Next time you see
any politician on screen, take this test - turn off the
sound. What are you observing? If you strip away the
political rhetoric and well-rehearsed talking points, what
impressions are being created simply by their visual impact &
presence?
Pre-existing belief systems related to youth vs. age are
present. One candidate may have no problem establishing eye contact
with their competitor while the other seems to purposefully evade
that level of personal interaction. One may
use closed-fisted gestures more frequently while the other's
gestures are more often open. You may even notice
one smiles more naturally while the other seems to need to
manufacture warmth.
If you think these
things don't matter all that much, it's time to revisit Alfred
Mehrabian's landmark research decades ago on non-verbal
communication. Here's what he found. When what we
hear and see are in conflict, we tend to default to non-verbal
communication clues (what we are observing) to determine what
we believe. Add to that our pre-existing "programming" (remember
that teacher or parent who always pointed their finger in
your face?) and the non-verbal influences are even more deeply
reinforced.
When Roger Clemens denied his steroid abuse on 60
Minutes, his dropping eye contact sent a very different message to
the millions of viewers. Despite his adamant verbal denials,
most of those polled considered him guilty. Or when
Hillary Clinton's tearful press conference seemed to have won her
the New Hampshire primary because of her apparent (and rare)
vulnerability. What was observed had a far greater impact than
her words.
Remember this however - perceptions are simply that and
may not be connected with reality at all but will create it for
many unless some other influence comes along to change our
minds.
The power of
perception is a major factor in the business world as well. More
often than not, how a presenter communicates their
messages of growth, opportunity, partnership, vision or
other strategic themes can profoundly shape other's
beliefs and ultimately their actions.
So, what does
this mean to you personally? Meet
Linda...
____________________________________________________________________
|
Promotions, Perceptions and Organizational
Politics
 I remember my very first
meeting with Linda. Because of our rapid growth, we were
considering her as a contract trainer in Distinction's training
organization. From our very first encounter at a Starbucks in
Tualatin, OR, I was impressed with how she carried herself. She
seemed confident and was very polished in her interpersonal skills-
just the kind of person we were looking for!
Linda did
become a trainer for us and in one of her workshops a few
months later, I got a chance to hear her share a story with a
group of trainees. She had worked many years for a
globally-known sportswear and apparel company. As she progressed in
her career there, an interesting phenomenon began to occur. She
found herself on the receiving end of a number of job promotion
offers. Although she was flattered, she was well
aware that the positions offered exceeded her actual experience
level and she simply was not qualified for the roles that were
brought her way. So what was happening?
What happened
was a powerful object lessen in the power of perception. Linda
was a polished communicator. When she addressed groups, she moved
with poised confidence engaging every individual in the room. Unlike
other presenters, making warm and engaging eye contact was not
difficult for her and her natural smile set people instantly at
ease. And while some of her "better qualified"
peers shuffled in front of their audiences with eyes
occasionally dropping to the floor, she was very comfortable in
front of any group and people noticed. Not only did her senior
managers respect her skills, they made an interesting connection
between her communication skills and job skills.
If you
think I'm advocating for tuning up your presentation skills to help
finagle that next big promotion, you would be wrong. What is
obvious, however, is that we seem to place a high value
on communicators who are comfortable in their own skin
and seem to be able to turn their presentations into a series
of one-on-one conversations. Contrast this with the organizational
leader who's stiff, rigid and passionless delivery is the norm
and you can well understand why Linda's skills were so highly
valued.
We all wish the world was full of Lindas so we
could actually look forward to the presentation process - but
it is not. Most presenters are painfully average. And their
lack of solid personal communication skills may well be negating a
career of seasoned experience and industry insight. You
see, the smartest people don't always make the best
leaders. And the brightest and the best often times struggle to
know how to inspire others to independent action.
Don't let the lack of a set of good personal
presentation skills hold you back in 2009! You've worked too hard to
get where you are today. But like most folks, you're probably
thinking to yourself right now, I'm not all that bad
! The reality is most of us simply don't
see ourselves like others do and that fact may well be
impacting many business professionals in an adverse
way.
"86%
of business professionals think they are great communicators, only
17% of their audiences agreed." The Leaders Voice,
Clark & Crossland
Keeping our presentation skills finely
honed is as important as changing the oil in our cars. You can
only ignore the need for so long before there is an ultimate
& significant cost to us. Let 2009 be the year you decide to
revisit this very important personal core competency! And we'd like
to help you do
that... | |
|
A Personal Note from
Jim
____________________________________________________
"Although 2009 may be a challenging time for your
checkbook, it could still be a very good year for you and your
career!"
If the personal challenge in this newsletter has been
sufficient to motivate you to finally work on those presentation
skills in 2009, then the few minutes you spent reading it today
has been time well spent. If you've already been through a
presentation skills class but the skills have faded from lack
of practice, maybe it's time for a much needed refresher. Here are a
few ways Distinction can help you bring your skills back to a
level that can make an important difference to you and your
professional career.
Open enrollment refresher workshops - If
you've been through Distinction's programs in the past but need a
refresher session to fine tune those skills once again, we offer
five open enrollment workshops every year in Portland, OR.
Distinction is now offering a special alumni rate of $400 off the
full price of $725/day for all of 2009!. Need an
onsite refresher for the whole team? Contact us for special alumni
rates.
Distinction Alumni - Get Your $400 Presentation
Skills Stimulus Offer!
Full-day onsite
coaching workshops - Distinction can bring our programs
onsite to your organization to help elevate the skills of your
entire group while providing a powerful team building experience.
Distinction offers consecutive day program and pre-purchasing
discounts for your ongoing professional development initiatives as
well.
Perceptions are a powerful thing. They can accelerate a
career or hold us back - open doors to new and more challenging
opportunities or keep us locked into the status quo for the rest of
our lives. The important thing is we get to
choose.
On a personal note, I want you to know
that I am hopeful about America. We have been through tumultuous
times before and emerged as the great country we are. And deep
down I have a desire for us to be the country we were on September
12, 2001. We set aside our differences to do the right things. We
all flew the same flag and stood together as Americans. And we can
do that again. Be sure to vote on Tuesday, November 4.
Best wishes,
 Jim Endicott,
President - Distinction Communication,
Inc. | |
