At the start of every year, we hear a lot about creating professional development goals and plans that will position you to grow and excel in your career. This is a great self-reflection process, and I suggest including a component on building your professional presence as part of your overall plan.
Whether you are a seasoned C-suite executive, a mid-level or a new professional, the impressions you create are critical. Your professional (or “executive”) presence affects how you are viewed both inside and outside your organization. Further, it shapes your self-confidence, and let’s face it, without self- confidence our growth will be limited.
Professional presence is about how you view yourself and how others view you from multiple dimensions. One element is how you look —are you dressed appropriately for your work setting? Does your appearance indicate that you have self-pride and does it convey how you want others to see you as a professional? It doesn’t mean you have to follow a set formula for dress (unless that is required in your work) and you can’t incorporate your authentic self. But it is about showing pride and confidence in you.
Equally important, professional presence is about how you act and interact; how you communicate and how you listen; how you react to and treat others. Do you enter a room showing self-confidence and self-pride? Do you greet people cordially and with a smile? Do you sit in meetings showing interest and attentiveness? Do you actively listen and show others that you care about what they say? A professional who is a skilled listener creates collaboration and garners respect. Do you communicate clearly and succinctly? Do you ask others what they think of your ideas? Do you invite them to contribute?
Do you value others, and do you make this apparent? No matter what our profession, our title or our experience, our greatest success is achieved by showing how much they value others and bringing out the best in our colleagues. I have met professionals at all levels who believe they are the smartest person in the room and the input of others is less important. You can pick up on this when they enter the room, when they communicate and certainly when they often fail to listen to others. Is this the way you come across? You may need input from others to know if this is part of your professional persona. And if it is, make correcting this a key part of your professional development plan.
Keep in mind that your professional presence is important whether you work on-site and/or virtually and it requires your ongoing attention and fine-tuning.
How do you begin to develop your professional presence? It may be worth considering working with a coach who has experience in supporting your leadership, management and professional presence development. You can also work with an image consultant but seek an individual who can guide you on all dimensions of your professional presence and not just your look and dress. At a minimum, find a colleague or friend who can offer you honest feedback on your current professional image and presence and is willing to give you feedback as you refine your approach.
Finally, make time for regular reflection on how you are honing your professional presence and let every improvement build your self-confidence.