Author Archives: Dorothy Dalton

Frozen eggs don’t address the real issues

I have been following with interest the recent media hype involving some high-profile companies, Apple and Microsoft, offering a frozen eggs service to their female employees. I suppose this possibly might be in the way that they might offer luncheon vouchers, concierge services or membership to a health club. Both companies hope that this move will help them attract and retain female talent, by reducing the pressure on them to have children before a particular age and stage in their careers.

I am all for family planning being openly discussed with both men and women equally. I am all for career strategy. I can indeed see there could be some advantages in the egg freezing perk but I am also aware of the process being fraught with potential difficulties.

Failure rate

Discussing oocyte cryopreservation (egg freezing) has been part of my congruent career couple coaching programme since 2012, together with the elective freezing of sperm, as a back-up fertility plan. I have always been a Plan B kind of girl. I.V.F. is an expensive process, with sums ranging from $12000 upwards being charged, so having a corporate health plan that includes this would be beneficial. I am told by friends who have been down this path, that the experience can be painful and emotionally difficult with a failure rate of around 70% reported.

Opponents will raise concerns about the unintended consequences of the scheme which would add even more pressure on female executives to delay motherhood until later on in their careers. The profile of the typical egg freezer has changed over recent years, showing a shift from single women not in relationships in their late 30s who want to protect their child-bearing possibilities, to younger women, who want an extended period of freedom. It is not always associated with career strategy and there is nothing wrong with this per se. Advocates will argue for women being given the opportunity to control their destinies both professional and personal. The ideal time to freeze eggs is when the egg quality is highest, which could be in late 20s. A strategy relying on this relatively untested medical technology carries additional unknown risks.

Sperm

It takes two to tango. Eggs need sperm. So women will also need access to high sperm count semen, one would hope from the father of their future child, although I understand this is not necessarily a prerequisite. Many women are single some out of choice others not. But are the companies offering the same service to male employees where research shows that sperm count peaks between ages 30-35?

The power of nature to disappoint should never be under estimated.

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Terms and conditions

There will surely be terms and conditions associated with receiving this benefit. Will these organisations see an influx of younger women who may want to take advantage of the offer only to see them leave once their eggs are frozen. Will they have to repay the fees as they might professional training fees? Ironically, this could lead to increased churn in the female talent pipeline.

Parent

This nice corporate perk might help at the upstream end of career and family planning, but at some point the woman hopefully will become pregnant and will have a baby. Whether she is a single parent or within a couple, there is no guarantee that her days in a family unfriendly job are over. It is equally likely that she could land a job later in her career which requires travel and high time commitment, post baby. If she is a single mother these challenges will be significant.

Delaying parenthood is therefore not the total solution. These new practises are only going to work for both men and women if organisations stop seeing children as a corporate inconvenience. Children will get sick and need taking to dentists. There will be sports days and parent teacher conferences. Kids cannot be freeze framed and re-activated at will, although I’m sure many parents would welcome that initiative on occasion.

In economies with declining birth rates, aging populations and critical skill set shortages, egg freezing health benefits are a nice-to-have, but no substitute for over all conditions of service and corporate cultures that don’t penalize parents. Parental leave should no longer be seen as career suicide for men and flex and remote working should lose the label “mommy track.”

If these critical corporate cultural issues, as well as the other challenges associated with unconscious bias and gender imbalance are not addressed then

frozen eggs will not make an iota of difference.

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10 Executive Presence Rules

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Executive Presence Rules are confusing! No kidding!

We’ve read a lot recently about executive presence and the hype associated with those indefinable characteristics style, substance and character or charisma, communication and appearance. A veritable industry has been spawned to define and navigate this amorphous concept which apparently is perceived to contribute by 26% to successful career progression. So is there an executive presence hand book and if there is, what lessons can be learned? It all sounds a bit like personal branding by another name to me.

As you know I am firmly in the camp that for most of us those attributes and skills can be honed and even learned, so when I look at some of our so-called top leaders I do confess to being more than a little mystified. I am also not a fan of attempts to fix people so they fit in, especially women. Having said that, this should not be confused with personal development which we all need and gaining new skills and honing old ones.

Executive Presence Myths

However, I can’t help but wonder if this is yet another myth, or series of myths, conjured up to dupe the average person into feelings of extreme inadequacy. But perhaps us lesser mortals should take heart.

Do press photos of Mark Zuckerberg and the late Steve Jobs for example, conjure up images of global inspiration? A normal person wouldn’t even be allowed in a night club or even some shopping malls, wearing a hoodie, let alone a board room. We have also all known high-profile figures whose integrity and other characteristics associated with executive presence, are firmly in the dubious category, as witnessed in the financial crisis and recent political events.

How strict are these rules?

So if these individuals are successful, why is there a different set of rules for the rest of us? Or is this all mainly old-fashioned re-packaged common sense? Remember those parental platitudes about eye contact, not mumbling and standing up straight? Will today’s parents be admonishing their kids for neglecting their executive presence?

If we are aiming to have a credible and memorable executive presence, what sensible takeaway moves can you lift to include in your own executive presence rule book to stand out from the crowd?

10 rules from the Executive Presence Handbook

Feel passionate and committed about your idea and what you do. Apathy is clearly not convincing.
Have a vision and be willing and able to share it. How many armchair entrepreneurs have failed because they never got further than their own sofa?
Make your story a fascinating cocktail: succinct, with energy, using simple, persuasive, but powerful language, usually with a dash of humour. We all like to laugh and people who talk too much are usually poor listeners.
Understand the value of a first impression: they really matter. It’s like a first date. Eye contact, firm handshake, good posture are still critical. There is a sting in this for women, who are judged far more harshly on their appearance than men.
Earn trust: Body language should always match words to build credibility. If there’s a mixed message – body language will always win the day. Remember Bill Clinton’s one liner that resulted in impeachment “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” Yeah right!
Be approachable and communicate directly: but with sensitivity and compassion. Good manners maketh both men and women. Courtesy, respect and being present are key.
Be decisive and incisive: protracted decision-making and cluttered thinking loses the audience. Obama cited consistently as having executive presence, lost some credibility for indecisiveness in his foreign policy.
Moderate emotions: Poise under pressure is highly rated. Extreme emoting is another deal breaker no matter how it is exhibited. This can be acting out (swearing, raging, crying) or avoidance (shutting down, refusing to engage, cold shoulder treatment.) A touch of controlled emotion is always well received under certain circumstances, something Tony Blair and Obama have perfected, yet Hillary Clinton was slated for having an emotional moment in public. Emotion is definitely a gender issue.
Be accountable: Act with decency and integrity. Although sadly, how many world-famous so called leaders have thrown this one out of the window? How far has this limited their success?
Demonstrate humility and graciousness: a quality everyone remembers and responds to. Humble leaders who listen, understand they need to learn and evolve themselves too. Nobody warms to a bragger.

But almost every successful leader can be quoted about the need to break the rules.

If I’d observed all the rules, I’d never have got anywhere... Marilyn Monroe.”

So where does that leave the rest of us when these rules are applied so flexibly to others?

“The golden rule is that there are no golden rules”…. George Bernard Shaw”

If your career needs a boost – get in touch NOW!

Pitchcraft: The 3Ps – Prepare, Practise, Perform

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“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Benjamin Franklin

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A number of people claim responsibility for creating the term Pitchcraft so I can’t source it exactly. It’s a term I’ve used myself for many years, thinking I was being very creative, although not in the context of baseball, which I find incomprehensible. This is on par with its equally mystifying UK counterpart cricket – but “bowlcraft” doesn’t have quite the same ring.

And deliver your bowl just sounds awkward.

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However, like any sport the aim is the same. To deliver a winning performance.

It is simply the art of delivering your message in the way that is most appropriate for the situation. This can range from a subtle message to a full on sales drive. It should be something we can deliver smoothly and succinctly to meet every occasion. Clearly you are not going to produce the same pitch on a hot date as you would in a networking event, unless of course you didn’t want a second date, in which case it would be a sure-fire tactic.

You would be surprised how many people fail to prepare to pitch in their careers. By doing so as Benjamin Franklin said, in reality they are preparing to fail. Opportunities come and go, many times when they are least expected. We know that if a lot of famous, successful people, many of whom are no longer with us, are oft quoted on any subject, then there will be truisms involved. And there are indeed lots of quotes on preparation and being prepared. But a high number of people are not prepared to pitch themselves, whether in a formal interview, in a meeting, with their clients, their boss or in a networking situation. Very often not only are they unprepared, they might even be reluctant to do so.

In the words of another late American President

“I will prepare and some day my chance will come.” Abraham Lincoln

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The 3Ps of Pitchcraft are:

1. Prepare

Have you carried out a review of personal and career goals – are they aligned?
Do you know your strengths and development needs?
When was the last time you did an audit of your CV and online profile? Have you identified your hard and soft skills? Can you articulate your success stories?
Do you have an up to date, ready to send CV?

2. Practise

How fluent is your 30 second commercial?
How is your non-verbal communication?
What about responses to typical interview questions. Do you have any prepared? What about the old chestnut “Tell me about yourself” It is a trick question!

3. Perform

How smooth is your delivery? Can you deliver your USP in any circumstances – a cocktail party, networking event or other business occasion. Or do you make even yourself cringe it sounds so awkward
Have you ever recorded yourself either online or on your own answer machine? How do you sound?

And finally another truism on the subject

Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity” Henry Hartman

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4 time management tips to work smarter not longer

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Even though my kids left school years ago, I’ve always been impacted by the back to school vibe. Just like in school, it’s a great opportunity to use this symbolic period to take some refresher classes. I decided I needed to go back to school and focus on some time management tips.

Why?

My goal is to work smarter not longer.

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We all often complain about not having enough time. Me too. For many of us time is our most valuable commodity. So now seems a good moment for me to review some time management basics to make concrete changes to the way I go about things. With a good foundation of best practises firmly in place I intend to create a new and better time management plan for myself. When we value our own time and the time of others, the tendency is that this approach will be reciprocated.

Here my back to school 4 basic time management tips:

Carry out a personal time audit

Keep a log of how you spend your time on a typical week day.
How does this change at the weekend?
When are you most and least productive?
What tasks could do with a little more time spent on them or survive a cut ?
What are you spending time on that you don’t really enjoy, or tasks you enjoy but have no value?
When are the main points in the day you waste time?
Using this evaluation, decide how do you want to redistribute your time.

Identify your priorities

What are your goals?
Create a to do list that reflects as many steps towards meeting those goals as possible, not just what needs doing or you like doing
Put these essential task at the top of the list, as well as tasks that you like doing. Facebook is fun, but unless you work for them or it is a genuine professional tool, this should go low on the list

Identify tasks, distractions or individuals that eat into your time

Identify anything which causes a regular, repeated drag or drain on your time. These could cover technical glitches, workload peaks, routine tasks that could be outsourced, unproductive meetings or even people. We all have individuals in our lives who are time wasters and energy drainers. Whether they are your best friend, a colleague or a report, be clear who they are and be willing to tell them

“I would be delighted to (insert request) but I really need to prioritise (insert your goal)”

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In a formal business environment set clear guidelines about when you are free for unscheduled meetings, taking calls out of the office, when you will have your phone switched off and will respond to emails. This is easier with seniority, but even at a junior level your boss should appreciate your structured approach. That’s OK for you, I was told. You are your own boss! So ask him or her:

“How would you like me to prioritise your requests? What can I drop?

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Turning off my email alert signal was one of the best things I have ever done to reduce distractions. Just as I know that chocolate contains calories, I know I’m going to get emails most minutes of most days, and most of them are not important.

Schedule down time

One of the biggest time-eating traps is not scheduling time off. Big mistake. We all need to disconnect, have enough sleep, exercise, eat healthily and make time for things that matter to us – whatever they may be, to simply re-charge.

So as the summer fades away, why not go forward into the winter with a new game plan

Need help with your time management? Check out the individual coaching programmes!

8 ways companies can put the “inter” back in interview

Flexing brand muscles

Bad news goes viral faster than Spanish Flu and poor candidate experiences do the rounds at high velocity. So when they complain about bad interviews, it’s not a case of “if” these problems seep onto the wider market – but when.

I hear candidate nightmares every week. None quite as bad as the classic Monty Python sketch with John Cleese. But some come close. They are mainly small things, but cumulatively they become compounded to form an overall negative impression, especially when the competitor’s hiring team is on point. Now, in an economic upturn candidates are starting to have choice.

Candidate interview experience

Companies pour millions into product marketing promotions but forget that every interface an outsider has with the company can strengthen the company and therefore product brand. In the recruitment process every level of engagement should be “on brand” and convey the essential message of the key values of the organisation. For many organisations it’s time to put the “inter” back into interview.

Is your company struggling with your candidates’ experiences? Check out services and training to create a strong employer brand

How to put the “inter” back into interview:

Communication – should be timely, positive and effective for keeping the candidate informed and motivated. Candidates say that the worst part of any process is no news.
Screening – should be thorough, professional, open. Many companies cut corners on low quality VOIP platforms or hurried phone calls on mobile phones with poor signals.
Preparation – everyone from the receptionist to the hiring manager should be aware of the brand image that they convey and should be well prepared
Location – should be in an appropriate place where all parties can be focused. Interviews frequently take place in bars, restaurants, hotels, airport lounges. At some point they should be in the company’s offices with dedicated time
Trained – all players in the process should be trained in interviewing and selection skills and have an assigned role in the process. Avoiding duplication of interviews and keeping the number of interviews to a reasonable level is also key. Anything more than four or five and the decision-making process of the hiring company is called into question
Interaction – should be timely, effective, professional.
Use of technology – should be demographic appropriate. Text and social media can be invaluable for entry-level recruitment particularly – perhaps less so with other generations.
Rejection – should be empathetic and encouraging paving a way for the future. Unsuccessful candidates can be turned into top brand evangelists if they sing a company’s praises even after being rejected.

An employer brand is intrinsic to the whole spectrum of the recruitment process. It is not just about what companies do that sends resonating messages, but what they fail to that will set warning bells clanging.

As economies show signs of recovery, it could be time for many companies to go through a thorough self-assessment to establish the condition of their employer brands and to remember the “inter” in interview.

How to combine career disruption with strategy

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Career disruption comes in many forms: mergers, takeovers, bad bosses, new bosses, downsizing, up-scaling, marriage, parenthood, re-location, health issues, transfers, job loss to name some.

As a career coach, who is a strong advocate for both men and women to create strategic plans for their careers, I listened attentively to Whitney Johnson. Author of Dare, Dream Do at a recent 3Plus Mini-Coaching session Whitney shared her tips from her book “Dare to Disrupt.”

What is important is how these changes can be harnessed positively. Although, sometimes we want to disrupt ourselves, simply because we want change.

So how can we combine disruption and planning?

Whitney said “When you are disrupting, you are discovery-driven, searching for a yet-to-be-defined market. Having a strategic plan implies that you know where you want to go, which presumably you can plot on a map. Your approach when you are disrupting must be discovery-driven; learning, gathering feedback, adapting.”

Krista has been disrupted.

Krista has a possible career change on the horizon. Her current boss was not successful in recent European election and was not voted back. She will have a new boss. Political relationships are based on personal chemistry and she worries her services will no longer be retained in the new order. As a fall back position she has approached her previous employer who could offer her a role at a much lower level.

She is at a crossroads: carry on with the disruption with the new boss, or go back to a comfort zone? Clearly she should approach the new incumbent with a concrete strategy. How can she make the situation work, but she also needs a Plan B in place in case it doesn’t. Preferably this will not involve back-sliding into an old, more junior position.

Need help with disruption, career strategy or Plan B – Check out these career transition programmes

Olivier has disrupted himself

Feeling restricted in his last role in the art world he wanted to broaden his horizons. Leveraging his artistic background he is studying an MBA with a focus on innovation. After some months of systematic research, a high number of informational interviews, coaching and networking, he is now positioning himself in the design sector.

Jeff has been disrupted

A new boss and a re-organisation made him reflect on his work/life priorities. He decided to take his entitlement to three months paternity leave and use the time to change direction. Creating a plan for the year he accepted a redundancy package to work on his position and re-brand himself in a role in a new sector. He started his new job some months ago.

Whitney adds “it’s important that you have a plan for what you hope to learn and discover about the market that you are pursuing, and perhaps more importantly that you have a “why” for doing this, so that you stay the course rather than slipping back into the safety of the known”.

It’s important to have an idea of your overall long-term goals both personal and professional. The disruption element just means that another type of plan is required to make that disruption effective and work for you.

So to quote Whitney again:

” Your “why” powers your “how”.”

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With thanks to Whitney Johnson.

If the there is disruption in your future whether driven by you or external events – make the most of it. So get in touch NOW!

Forget the X factor! Do you have the networking C-Factor?

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“BG” (Before Google) LinkedIn and other social networking platforms, any recruiter worth his or her salt maintained a contact book. It included their inner circle from A to Z and was worth it’s weight in business gold. It benchmarked your connectivity and a solid black book was a sure sign that you had the “C-Factor.”

NETWORKING is the single most powerful marketing tactic to accelerate and sustain success for any…

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Networking and connectivity (the C-Factor) is about making contacts and building enduring, mutually valuable and sustainable relationships. Today, with the development of social networking, this process has shifted slightly to become, not just about who you know but also who knows you. This means that over time, the C-factor has become slightly more complex, as business relationships become more multi-layered than ever before which can cause confusion. Seduced by the endorphin high of a Facebook like, a Twitter #FF or a Google +1 we can forget that although all make a contribution to the C-Factor, they are not the same as a confirmed order or a signed contract. At some point we have to pick up the phone, get out there and meet the right people.

This is when the C-Factor really kicks in.

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Any senior executive or entrepreneur in any sector, but especially recruitment, will tell us that their network is one of their most powerful tools in their business. For anyone who has any commercial exposure they will also add that they spend most of the working week cultivating these critical relationships.

So how do we know if we have the C-Factor?

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The C-Factor check list

You have an authentic story that people relate to and encourages willing engagement
You show interest and understand the stories of others
You create mutually beneficial relationships
You manage your network, not allowing it to manage you
If you can help, you will.
You have zero expectation of reciprocity
You are highly visible
You recognise the key members of your network on a regular basis with no agenda
You acknowledge and reciprocate with gestures
You follow through on promises
If you can’t do something, you say so
You reply when you can and when appropriate
You understand the dynamics of your business and stay abreast of any developments
You are connected to and value the key players in your sector
You are a recognised as a significant member of your business community
You can tap effortlessly into your sector knowledge resources and know the go-to curators
You are considered to be a door opener for others
You are willing to refer and are offered referrals in return
Networking is an integral part of your personal and business development plan
Your position means you are visible for new career opportunities
You are able to gracefully draw the line under unproductive relationships

How did you do?

5 top qualities needed at entry level

Disconnect between universities and employers

I saw a ridiculous statistic the other day. As grade inflation rises amongst the student population, as a way of weeding out the higher level candidates, 80% of UK employers are looking for 2.1 or a First Class degrees (equivalent to a U.S. G.P.A. of 3.3 and above.) This is only achieved by 60% of the student body. There is therefore a 20% shortfall in the theoretical talent pipeline. Given that many entry-level jobs require the brain capacity of a two watt bulb, there is a serious mismanagement of expectations and a deepening of miscommunication between our education systems and employers. This is even before we get into the question of the quality of career advice in universities and even some business schools.

We are essentially creating a demographic which has been set up for a cycle of low self-esteem. The strong trend of grade inflation hasn’t convinced me that students are more intelligent than they were 30 years ago, but those that achieve those grades are probably working harder or smarter than the ones who are not getting top results. However they maybe lacking in other skills. So it’s important for second tier graduates to exhibit key qualities in other areas. Academic grades are not everything.

Are they really the losers they feel themselves to be? No not at all.

Some of our most successful world figures feature in the drop-out hall of fame: Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Richard Branson and Oprah Winfrey to name but a few. But entry-level candidates do need to focus on the key skills and qualities that hiring managers and recruiters specifically look for to bridge the qualification gap.

5 top qualities needed at entry-level

Demonstrated strong work ethic and energy

Whether this is achieved in summer or weekend employment, university roles, internships or voluntary work, it doesn’t matter. What you need to exhibit is a high degree of energy and commitment. A strong work ethic also demonstrates time management skills and prioritizing abilities. Employers are not looking for a degree in partying or sofa surfing.

Showcase a passion

I have rarely met anyone who doesn’t have a hobby or a passion for something. Whether it’s photography, music, a sport, travel, cars, theatre or other activity, dig into that passion and identify what it is about it that you enjoy, or made you excel. Consider those transferable skills and the value they can add to a future employer. Highlight them in your CV.

Continuous learning

Just because you have finished university there are many ways to add to your skill set. There are more ways than ever before to learn at no cost to you at all. Your best friend is now Google. There are many free aptitude and personality tests online (e.g. Meyers Briggs) and although many are difficult to interpret without professional input, they do give a basis for some self insight. Check out the possibilities on Fast Tomato a part of the Morrisby organisation for college and school leavers. Learn a language, sales or presentation skills. Many companies offer free ” teaser” webinars and although at some point you have to part with cash, basic knowledge can be gleaned for nothing, except time. Also stay engaged and keep abreast of current affairs. It’s important you know what’s going on in the world.

A professional presence

Inter-personal skills are really important in the workplace. This is not just the way you interact, your vocabulary choice or your body language, but also appearance. Your student “yo, yo dude” days are over. So make sure your image is workplace appropriate. Good appearance is a must, so cover the tattoos and remove piercings if you are targeting the corporate market. Maybe upgrade your clothes. Invest in at least one interview type suit. Create an online profile with a professional biz pic on LinkedIn. A selfie will not do. Start networking even if it feels alien, signing up for job alerts to be first past the post. One again the internet is full of content to support these efforts either at no, or low-cost, including this blog. If in doubt just practise interview questions with your friends.

Exhibit independence

Even if you are returning to the parental home make a formal arrangement with your parents to be a contributing and productive member of the household. Parents should insist on this and very often kindness only leads to creating a culture of dependency and dis- empowerment. If the entry job of your dreams seems remote, there are plenty of interim jobs to keep you financially solvent. Contribute to the household by assuming responsibility for certain chores. This also serves to show cases your work ethic and every job provides some level of learning curve, even if it’s only patience, resilience and fortitude.

High grades can kick-start a fledgling career. But there is no reason why those who are not as academically successful can’t catch up or even overtake. Many do just that. The secret is not to be deterred on the starting line.

What other qualities would you say hiring managers look for in entry-level candidates?

How to become visible in meetings: shut up and listen

Collective white noise

What we seem to be confronted with frequently today, are cohorts of super savyy meeting participants, all with one thing in mind. To stand out and over shadow everyone else. The result is that we are all going into a series of meetings, dominated and over powered by the collective white noise of dozens of individual “personal brands” vying for attention. This only serves to contribute further to meetings being universally regarded as ineffective time eaters, which don’t stay on topic or produce productive, actionable outcomes.

With an estimated 11 million formal business meetings each day in the US, it is thought that as much as $37 Billion is lost. Yes BILLION. Many companies are now taking steps to reduce digression and other unproductive spin offs of interpersonal communication, shifting to computer supported meetings. Here software completes a triage of input based on significance and relevance. At the same time this fosters anonymity, allowing individuals to be more candid than they might have been if they had simply put their hands up. It can also reduces the domination of the meeting by the aforementioned pushy or stronger personalities.

Calculating the cost of a meeting

The challenge is to keep a meeting on track without stifling creativity, but reducing individual show boating. With apps such as Meeting Meter it’s possible to for any organisation now to work out the cost of all their meetings.

So where does that leave all those old suggestions on how to be come visible in meetings? Even more confusion!

How to become visible in meetings

Arrive late: true everyone will remember you but not for a good reason. You were late and wasted the collective time. If I’m late for a meeting I get hot and bothered and it’s not a good first impression.
Speak up: clearly this is a good tip because if you don’t no one can hear you. If you contribute via software support the value of your contribution will be ranked.
Speak early/first: this is widely regarded to be necessary, but will depend on the nature of the meeting and the content of your sound bite. Once again your contribution will be ranked if presented via software support.
Leave to take a call : Rude
Be confident: Obvious
Prepare questions: Clearly be prepared and ask questions if relevant. Don’t ask if they are not. You should have seen an agenda.
Walk around: could be strange unless part of your company culture. If others do, it will be messy.
Take notes: only if you need them
Don’t take notes: what if you do need some?
Interrupt: rude and annoying. Signalling to the chair that you would like to ask a question is not being deferential, it’s being polite.
Re-stating data in another format: Whether it’s 1 in 4, or 25%, to repeat data already presented runs the risk of appearing dim.

The best stand out performances I have observed from attending hundreds of meetings myself are actually by-products of listening. It’s the person (male or female) who simply cuts through the white noise and just asks: Can you repeat that? Can you go back to ..? Can you clarify…?

The irony is that how to become visible in meetings can now actually be more about what you don’t say than what you do.

“It’s the person who just shuts up and listens and cuts through the white noise with a pertinent question”

“I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” Ernest Hemingway.

If you need help making your presence felt – get in touch now!

Can executive presence be learned?

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What is executive presence? Do you have it? What are the intangibles, the “je ne sais quoi” or X Factors that make the difference between being the person who stands out and commands a room, or who disappears and becomes invisible in the crowd? How is a person able to inspire confidence and trust of those around him or her, to become a respected authority and pillar of any organisation?

Research from the Center for Talent Innovation, suggests that the key elements, gravitas, communication and appearance are vital. Being perceived as leadership material is essential to being promoted into leadership positions. In the study, 268 senior executive participants said “executive presence” contributed to 26% of what it takes for career advancement.

So what are the elusive ingredients that make up executive presence?

According to the study it is a cocktail of:

Gravitas: is perceived to be a combination of behaviours and characteristics that convey confidence, as well as to ” inspire trust, poise under pressure and bolster credibility” Synthesize these with a clear demonstration of moral integrity, burnishing reputation and vision all important attributes for the perfect presence combination .
Communication: is not just about superior presentation skills, but having an authoritative style with a powerful and persuasive message that compels people to listen. It also encompasses EQ – an ability to understand people and what motivates them, to listen and read a room.
Appearance: this represents only a part of it and encompasses demeanour and physical attributes that are both “distinctive and appropriate.” Those surveyed indicated that major faux pas in this area are damaging, especially seeming to be unkempt. For women, wearing clothes that are too clinging was an additional issue.

Challenges and bias

All of these factors make it more challenging to manage expectations, especially when unconscious bias plays a role. Research from Cook Ross tells us that only 15% of U.S. men are over 6 foot tall, yet 60% of male C.E.Os seemingly are above that height.

I’m assuming that a height criterion is not specified in any job description. We still gravitate towards and select men who can protect and “lead” us in fight or flight and place high value on those characteristics, even though in the 21st century those attributes are no longer as important. Women report that feedback on executive presence is often mixed and confusing, which accounts for 81% suggesting they are unsure what action to take. Ethnic minorities also feel harshly judged.

Yet history also tells us that here are many exceptions to these rules. It can also be about a serendipitous combination of characteristics that work at any given moment. We make trade-offs on a regular basis, actually accepting some quite strong negative characteristics and poor behaviour from our leaders and executives, for other compensating factors. So the reality is that “executive presence” is not the indefinable, hard to achieve holy grail we are led to believe, but a set of attributes and skills we can all work on acquiring.

It’s not even about being unique. But about being able to appear confident and trustworthy in a style that works for us.

Check out the Executive Presence Coaching Programme.

Learned skills

Few of our most charismatic leaders claim not to have had any support at all. It’s obvious that there are some who are consistently perceived to have that elusive, natural ingredient, charisma. For most, executive presence can be developed and honed and requires a degree of professional investment, either personal or by a company, as well as hard work.

It is possible to perfect a message both in terms of content and delivery. Understanding strengths and development needs, as well as having clear goals are vital career management tools for any potential leader. Being able to convey that message succinctly, memorably and persuasively can be taught and even the most basic abilities enhanced. Some people are born with both innate speaking and listening skills, but most acquire and develop them through diligent and focused training or coaching, notable cases being Margaret Thatcher and David Beckham who both had voice coaches.

Non-verbal communication such as appearance, posture and demeanour can all be improved with professional input. We have seen the make-overs of numerous public figures who have been groomed, re-packaged re-branded and totally made over. It’s nothing new. Hillary Clinton was coached to be “real” and to soften her image. It will also depend on a target market and brand history. Mark Zuckerberg’s hoodie, while distinct, is not trad corporate dress. Neither was Steve Jobs’ turtle neck.

Exceptions

Perhaps there are just too many exceptions for there to be a rule. For us lesser mortals asking some trusted friends for constructive feedback could be a helpful starting point. But if you hear the same comment a number of times there is a clear need to sit back and listen, but more importantly to act.

Time to see a professional – or possibly more than one.