“Noooooo” I shout as I enter my office and discover my computer drenched in a pool of water.
I grab towels and do my best to quickly mop up the mess but when I tip my computer over, water comes pouring out.
(Re-enactment of my face)
I had been gone for 3 hours when I returned home to learn our upstairs bathroom had flooded. My husband had cleaned up the floors and had fans blowing on the hardwood.
What he hadn’t realized was that the water had also dripped through the floor into the vents which eventually made their way to my office.
Directly above my computer.
Let me give you a visual.
Imagine standing on a ladder with a funnel. Now place the funnel directly above your computer and slowly pour a pitcher of water through the funnel.
Yes, this ultimately led to taking my computer in for repair with a few tears sprinkled in for good measure.
What does this have to do with body language?
Well, in the days spent waiting for the repairs to be done, I was reminded of the importance of having another way of doing things. Multiple skill sets. A backup plan.
Or said another way, "Don't put all of your eggs in one basket".
I was used to having access to all of my files. Not being able to work on upcoming presentations, projects, and virtual meetings in my normal fashion was completely stressful!
Suddenly, having an external hard drive, iCloud, Google Calendar, Zoom phone app, etc. all mattered a great deal. Having a new way to access my information was critical.
The same goes for people skills.
When you only know how to show up one way and don’t know how to navigate new situations, it’s a challenge!
Situations like:
I just graduated from college. How do I lead others?
I’m a new manager. How do I build teamwork?
How on earth does one network? These large gatherings are intimidating and I’m not sure what to do?
How do I make small talk? And why is small talk so important anyway?!
How do I show up with confidence and presence?
Having a game plan and strengthening your people skill muscles is a smart idea. If you don’t know how to connect and relate, you will run into some difficult situations.
Leadership requires the ability to react and respond well in a variety of situations and being aware of how you are showing up is a big part of the equation.
Happily, you can increase your personal charisma using the science of body language and psychology.
If you want to work on these skills, you need to make it a priority just in case your version of a flooded bathroom occurs.
It doesn't seem like a big deal, until it does.
Like when you have to:
Give a last-minute presentation
“Say a few words”
Interview for a new job or position
Pitch yourself and your idea
Network with strangers
Lead a new team
Give a difficult performance review
You get the idea!!
In the end, I was without a computer for 4 days but, boy, did it feel a whole lot longer!
Think about where you might need to brush up on people skills and get to work!
I don’t want you “flooding” my inbox with panicked requests. Let’s plan ahead and start working on things so you have a backup plan in place.
Your co-pilot (who will forevermore purchase Apple Care+),
P.S.
What’s your biggest people skill challenge?
Drop me a message and I’ll happily give you some pointers!