GUEST BLOG ENTRY BY LISA OLSEN, OFFICE DYNAMICS CERTIFIED TRAINER/SPEAKER
Here’s the next three characteristics of gaining professional presence:
1. Optimism – Assistants with presence display a “can-do” attitude. They are motivated, pro-active and it shows in the way they present themselves. Increase your sense of optimism by remaining persistent in the face of setbacks and failures. Find humor in difficult situations and be willing to laugh at yourself.
2. Passion for work – Set expectations for yourself that you can achieve so you can develop your passion and love what you do. Are you always looking for ways to improve yourself or the situation? When we develop a deeper sense of compassion for ourselves and others, we enhance our presence and others notice. They begin to wonder what you have they don’t have – and they want it!
3. Empathy – Try to understand another person’s perspective. It is critical to attaining what Stephen Covey calls the “win-win” level of relationships. Increase your ability to be empathetic by honing your approachability.
One way to “see” what professional presence looks like is to find and imitate a role model. Watch, look and listen. Identify individuals who possess the characteristic you want to emulate. Work on learning new behaviors. Remember, the key to deep learning is practice. Stretch yourself – make the uncommon common.
Your quest for professional presence will require patience. Commit to one or all of the 6 characteristics and then give yourself time. Although you might not feel as though you’ve changed, your actions may be speaking volumes.
Lisa Olsen