This month I signed up for a six-week boxing programme. I have no goals of taking on Conor McGregor like Floyd Mayweather did, but I do hope to find a way to break the plateau in my workout routine.
have never taken a boxing lesson before and the thought of my first session filled me simultaneously with excitement and anxiety. The good news is that the instructors are extremely positive, encouraging and supportive. The experience is also extremely challenging for me.
I was never a gymnast or a cheerleader in high school. (Instead, I became the first girl chosen to perform as the mascot for varsity basketball games – the Monroe Central Golden Bear – but that’s another story.) My favourite film is Baz Lurhmann’s Strictly Ballroom, because it’s all about dancing which is also not my gift.
It was around that year, back in my college days, when I hilariously overheard my mother confirming my thoughts about my awkward tendencies at a mother-daughter reception. I was feeling pretty elegant wearing a form-fitting dress with my hair swept up in a bun.
My mom was standing a few feet away talking with another mom. The other mom said: “Your daughter looks like a dancer, is she majoring in ballet?” To which my mom immediately quipped: “Her? She can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.” True story. And don’t get mad at my mom. I wish coordination was one of my natural characteristics, but it’s not.
As Valentine’s Day is ahead, it’s the perfect time to brush up on your body language.
Body language can be developed incrementally.
My hand/eye coordination is not great. So, now, when given the boxing combination direction to “jab, jab, right cross, upper-cut, slip”, I need to go through each position r-e-a-l-l-y slowly to build the muscle memory required to put the movements together smoothly. I’ve had three lessons so far, and each time, I’ve improved. It’s a process.
And it’s reminding me how learning to take more control of your body language when you are presenting in the workplace is also an incrementally learned skill.
Take one of my coaching clients I worked with this past week. An exec at a big tech firm in Canada, he was presenting a pilot platform on behalf of his department before the senior leadership team.
Suddenly, one of the SLT members interrupted my client, questioning the premise of his projected outcomes.
He told her that the way she handled disappointment was one of the deciding factors that went into awarding her the promotion
“I could tell from his face that my answer didn’t convince him,” my client told me.
“Did you feel that the content of your answer was sufficient?” I asked. “Yes, but later, one of my colleagues told me that my face looked ‘crestfallen’ and my voice became shaky.”
Ah. If he had been able to keep his face and voice composed, he would have had a much better chance of reassuring the questioner. Remember, dear readers, that when you are presenting, your audience is experiencing all of you. Your posture, your gestures, your facial expressions and the clarity and flow of your voice are all part of it. It’s not only about powering up your energy and enthusiasm, it’s also about being aware of how you appear and sound when things don’t go as planned.
Do you know how you might react with your face when you’re hit with an unexpected or even perhaps hostile question? It makes a difference.
Take another one of my clients. She shared how she recently managed to hide her disappointment and maintain a look of composure and assuredness when a supervisor informed her they were unfortunately going to need to completely shelve the project she had been leading for an entire two quarters.
“I was discouraged, but I purposefully kept my face neutral and said I looked forward to supporting the next project when possible.”
That same manager approached her weeks later with a new, higher-profile opportunity. He told her that the way she handled disappointment was one of the deciding factors that went into awarding her the promotion.
I’m not saying that we must control our emotions and become programmable robots. But, learning to respond rather than react is a skill that, like boxing, takes time and effort.
A friend shared a photo of himself and two other executives standing together at a business event. They looked like suspects in a line-up: facing squarely toward the camera in a row, each with their hands awkwardly hanging by their sides.
So, here are some quick tips to prevent you from appearing as uncomfortable as they did.
First, if you’re in a group, those of you on the outside, turn your body slightly inward toward the centre and then move your head to face the camera.
Elongate your spine and relax your shoulders. Position your feet about hip distance apart and shift your weight just slightly more to one side.
Then, and most importantly, do something with at least one of your arms. You can partially tuck one hand into the side pocket of your trousers, even if you’re wearing a suit jacket. Or bend one arm at the elbow with your hand resting lightly on the top button on your jacket. There. Now you know.
Write to Gina in care of SundayBusiness@independent.ie
With corporate clients in five continents, Gina London is a premier communications strategy, structure and delivery expert. She is also a media analyst, author, speaker and former CNN anchor.
@TheGinaLondon 885
