Woody Allen said “80% of success is showing up.”
How do you enhance your personal impact and build savvy skills? Show up and have something to say.
I used to watch one manager running through the hallways at the office – always late for a meeting. He thought this gave the impression he was busy – the reality is, he looked stressed, hassled and unorganized.
Avoid the rush. Arrive a few minutes early. Avoid being seated in the back of the room far away from anyone of influence.
You won’t have to elbow or jostle your way to sit next to the senior executive or CEO. But if you happen to sit next to the CEO, have something to say. You should have your, “Who Am I” story ready. Annette Simmons in her book, The Story Factor states there are six stories every leader needs to know how to tell, “who am I” is just one of them. Practice it.
Many organizations provide high potential talent with the opportunity to sit next to the CEO – yet, some of the talented managers are unprepared. One manager told me he was seated next to the CEO and when the CEO asked what he did, he said, “I work here.”
Deinitely a missed opportunity.
Think about advertising tag lines and how they grab your attention – when you’re seated next to someone of influence and asked what you do – how about responding with, “I drive innovation” or “I’m a start up specialist” – both are conversation starters.
What’s your tag line?
