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CHARACTERISTICS
Characteristics are features or ingredients exhibited by a person that conveys an image of that person to the observer. That cuts right to the heart of the matter. Here are the areas that make up what I call the Executive Character Pyramid. It’s an easy configuration to relate to because its very structure implies a building up or conversely breaking down of a stable structure. Take, for instance, the familiar food pyramid which is built up by showing the various categories of food types recommended for a healthy diet. The implication is that taking some of these out of the diet or replacing them with less than healthy products will weaken the diet pyramid. With that in mind let’s look at the Executive Character Pyramid ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
1.) Voice Tones -–Your voice can be used in monotones seeming to express disinterest, gruff or high pitched expressing anger or mild expressing a calm and acceptance posture. It’s a tool that must be employed with care and awareness of how you want your comments to be interpreted.
2.) Facial Expressions—Similar to and often accompanying voice tones is the bland stare, twisted grimace or a slight or pronounced grin.
3.) Gestures---These are the third leg of the three pointed pyramid and like the previous two ingredients are frequently joined in action to express your indifference, anger or pleasure.
I have a few important words about these three ingredients. Singularly or in combinations they can send negative signals to others that you really didn’t intend or didn’t intend to the degree that they are perceived. There are methods to control how and when you employ various ingredients. It’s important for me to get a fix on how you manage these areas. Executive presence is a lot about appearance, body language, communication style and poise. I can help you to enhance your presence with coaching and practice.
4.) Language Skills---Following closely on the heels of the three legs of the pyramid is the use of language. Obviously cursing is out. Slang is to be avoided. Some words are misused and mispronounced. Certain sentence structures are improperly compounded out of habit.
5.) Eye Contact---This is an area that can intimidate, reflect disinterest or convey rapt attention.
6.) Posture---Correct posture is easy to define, sit straight, stand straight. There is too much slouching and unconscious positioning of body parts that makes a bad impression.
7.) Kindness---This area relates to how complimentary you are or are not. Like other ingredients this is a powerful method of expression that you need to utilize. Do you have it?
8.) Humility---This is without a doubt an area that is abused and yet it can be one of the executive’s strongest allies. Executives, especially males, think that being the tough guy is the image they want to portray. But I can tell you from experience that posture will do you less good and create more ill will than most any other fault. Everyone needs to be respected and when your conduct denies them that right they are deeply offended. When you deeply offend someone, no matter who they are, you have created an enemy. You don’t want enemies. Watch that ego! I’ll show you how.
9.) Patience---It is important to practice patience at all times. I have methods you can use to promote this quality within your repertoire. It can help you with controlling stress as well.
10.) Respect and Caring---This requires a real sense of who you are and what powerful influence you can exude among those in your community as well as those in your organization. These apparently mild and graceful ingredients are, as often is the case, strong influencers. Do you know how and when to use them?
11.) Positive Mental Attitude---Here is the ingredient of real strength that affects you and everyone around you. It can be cultivated and without a lot of effort. You can’t fake this because to do so will lead to a breakdown of your pyramid. It will take some insight to grasp control but I can help you put it into practice.
12.) Appearance---This is an important area having to do with everything from fingernails to tie selection. A few simple hints will normally take care of this important area. A reminder----I will tell you what most others will not.
13.) Time Management---It is important for the executive to use time utilization efficiently. Here I’m primarily focused on ensuring that you are not procrastinating, that you are delegating, setting priorities and working from a scheduled framework.
14.) Office Workplace---This area should be a reflection of you. If it’s messy what does that say about you and the quality of your work? I will work with your secretary to develop better ways to organize your office and keep it uncluttered and ready for action. 15.) Human Resource Overview---I will review with you the major points of where your attention and focus should be concentrated in interacting with your companies HR staff and your employee population to ensure that you are generally conversant with the primary compliance and functional employee relations issues. Part of your ongoing executive/managerial responsibility is to function/and make decisions in the best interest of the employees. Your employee population is currently made up of multi-generational groups of Baby Boomers, Generation X and immerging Gen Y's all of whom have considerably different views and needs. Human Resources has become a much more encompassing function as a corporate discipline and your sense and general knowledge of it should be sharpened.
GO TO THE DECISION PAGE
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