Tips for Maintaining Grace Under Fire

Gravitas, one of the three core pillars of Executive Presence, is not a single trait but a combination of many characteristics. Among them, confidence, decisiveness, reputation and vision are key. Another indispensible element of gravitas? The ability to maintain calm and collected under intense pressure – otherwise known as “grace under fire.”

Poise-Under-Pressure

Like any feature of Executive Presence, the ability to demonstrate grace under fire is not a given trait. It must be learned and practiced. Staying focused and maintaining a cool head under pressure is certainly not easy – and those such as politicians, athletes, CEOs or other individuals whose jobs require them to be constantly on the spot must train in order to excel in their fields.

That said, nearly everyone has faced intense pressure in the workplace at some point – no matter what their job. And if you want to enhance your own Executive Presence, you too must find and practice strategies that work for you to remain calm during heated moments. Here are some tips that may help you to demonstrate “grace under fire.”

  • The first step: breathe. If you are faced with a stressful situation or if a colleague or client is demanding an immediate answer, you must remember that minimal time will be lost if you pause for a moment to breathe. Inhale, exhale, and then proceed with addressing the situation. Oxygen intake will force you to calm down, and taking even a couple of extra seconds to respond will help you refrain from blurting the first response that pops in your head.
  • Try not to take the stress of others personally. If a colleague, boss or client addresses you rudely or is very demanding, remind yourself that they likely are not trying to attack you, but rather are projecting their own stress. Though it is difficult to do so, try to detach some emotion from stressful situations in the workplace. This will help you to view the conflict through an objective, rational lens.
  • When responding to questions or demands while under pressure, avoid making up answers or excuses that you do not support or believe in. It’s not worth it to respond to a situation right away with a quick answer that is not genuine or well thought-out. Try to take time to consider an answer that you will not regret or want to change later.
  • Filter out demands that are top priority and address minor concerns later. Intense pressure on the job often comes from not one source, but from many demands all piling down on you at once. Instead of trying to fix everything immediately, prioritize what is most essential. This will allow you to focus, which is essential for staying calm in critical moments.

What tips work for you when you are under pressure? How do you maintain “grace under fire” on the job and elsewhere?

How does your Executive Presence measure up?

Do you want to enhance your Executive Presence, but have no idea where to start? Do you have trouble determining your areas for improvement or knowing how others perceive you? It can be difficult to understand the strengths and limits of your own Executive Presence without knowing the right questions to ask yourself. Luckily, we have developed some tools that can help you to determine exactly where you stand.

Evaluate your Reputation Capital
In business, your reputation is one of your most valuable assets and you must work constantly to build and improve it. Your reputation follows you everywhere: it is the presence you have even when you’re not there. And as one of the six components that compose “gravitas,” reputation is essential to your Executive Presence.

Of course, because your reputation has so much to do with what others say about you and how they perceive you, at times it can be difficult to assess the state of your reputation.

As part of our free resource page, our Reputation Capital Quiz can help you to define just that. The quiz, divided into the categories of “Character,” “Communication,” and “Trust,” takes a holistic approach to assessing your reputation – as mastering each one of these categories is essential to a strong and positive reputation.

The questions will ask whether you…

  • Care and act with everyone’s welfare in mind?
  • Come across as a person who has a genuine respect for others?
  • Go out of your way to communicate your genuine personal commitment to those you work with?

… Plus several more that aim to give you an accurate and honest picture of the current status of your reputation.

Assess Your Executive Presence
Executive Presence is important both on an individual level as well as a team level. There are three pillars of Executive Presence: Image, Communication and Gravitas, or the ability to be calm, confident, decisive and poised all at once.

To help you organize all of the many components which constitute Executive Presence – and allow you to reflect on your own projection of Executive Presence – we have developed two scorecards for assessing your own presence as well as that of your team.

Questions that assess your individual Executive Presence will ask whether you…

  • Are familiar with all protocols for business and social introductions?
  • Project credibility and instill trust immediately?
  • Always remember everyone’s name?

The team scorecard will ask you and your close colleagues whether your team…

  • Knows how to work a room and make good use of social opportunities to connect with clients and prospects, instead of sticking together at events?
  • Is highly knowledgeable on all the latest rules of virtual etiquette?

Reflecting on the status of your reputation and your presence is very important to initiate growth. Once you’ve taken these first steps, we can help you find the right path to improving your Executive Presence.

Check out all of our free resources on our site!

Bounce Back from a Negative Performance Review with Executive Coaching

2014:01 - Two executives review docFeeling discouraged after a negative performance review? Was the feedback less rewarding than what you had hoped for or expected? Are you unsure of how to proceed? Thoughts and feelings like this after a disappointing performance review are natural. But there are steps you can take to recover quickly from a bad review – and help you to improve for the next one.

Corporate Class Inc.’s Executive Coaching is designed for individual needs. The one-on-one coaching focuses on your personal and professional goals and business objectives. Pursuing this program is an excellent action following a negative review, as we can help you to examine all of your areas that need improvement as well as formulate concrete steps to becoming a stronger professional.

For those managing or delivering performance reviews, this is also an excellent option to consider for your employees. Think and plan ahead for those employees who need improvement by arranging individual coaching for staff members. This is a great way to enhance the skills and strengths of your team, as well as demonstrate to your staff that your organization is dedicated to employee growth and development.

In addition to pursuing individual Executive Coaching, here are a few steps you can take now to bounce back from a negative review:

  • View criticism as constructive
    Negative points in your review are not provided to make you feel like you haven’t done a good job; rather, they should offer insight into how you can work more effectively or efficiently. Though it is easy to take this feedback personally, try to change your perspective by seeing it in an objective light. By taking a step back and detaching your emotions from the feedback, it is possible to assess how you can improve.
  • Discuss with your boss if you have questions about the review
    Certain points of feedback may not make sense to you, or you may have worked hard in an area that your supervisor has interpreted differently. If this is the case, arrange for a follow-up meeting with your reviewer to discuss any unclear feedback. Not only will this give you a better sense of how you can improve, it also may provide insight on how you can more effectively demonstrate your hard work and efforts.
  • Give time for reflection
    Do not act immediately following a negative performance review. Your strong emotions may get the better of you. An article in The Wall Street Journal suggests taking a day or two to let the review sink in, and to reflect and recover from your initial reaction to the review. Otherwise, your defensiveness or anger could take over your response to your reviewer or boss – which could worsen the situation.

Above all, do not feel that a negative review is an absolute. Instead, it is a great opportunity to improve your performance in your company and to become a stronger professional. Our individual Executive Coaching can help you along the way.

Stereotyping Women in the Workplace

2014:01 - Woman EPAt Corporate Class Inc., we strive to foster excellence, confidence, and leadership in all professionals. Yet even today’s workplace, not all professionals are considered equal. Among many other stereotypes, differing perceptions of the roles of men and women in the workplace prevail – sometimes beyond our awareness.    

You may have seen the Whip It ad from Pantene Philippines, which has gone viral since its launch in November 2013. To date, it has received over 14 million views. The video depicts a professional man and woman functioning in the exact same business contexts. The differences lie in the perceptions of these two professionals: when exhibiting confidence and authority, the man appears to be the “boss,” but the woman appears “bossy.” While the man delivers a “persuasive” speech in front of a crowd, the woman at the exact same podium is read as “pushy.” And while a man taking care of his professional image seems to be “neat,” a woman with the same concerns is written off as “vain.”

Through these differences in perceptions, the ad addresses the underlying stereotypes that prevail in the workplace and can put professional women at a disadvantage. These perceptions happen all the time, whether or not we consciously recognize it.

We have been discussing the implications on professional women as a result of these stereotypes in our local Lean In circle. Lean In is an organization dedicated to supporting women in achieving their goals and to addressing the challenges women face, like the gender stereotypes depicted in the Pantene commercial. Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook and author of Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead, is one of the founders of LeanIn.Org. The book and the organization offer concrete advice and support to counter the negative stereotypes and other kinds of roadblocks that women face, in the workplace and elsewhere.

While we at Corporate Class Inc. strive to enable all professionals to master and demonstrate Executive Presence, which includes qualities such as confidence, command, strength, and poise, we too face the challenge of how others perceive successful women who exhibit these qualities. As such, it is important to address this problem in the workplace and in other spaces like a Lean In circle. By addressing the problem, we can instill awareness of this kind of discrimination, which is often enacted unconsciously. Then we can begin to eradicate such behaviour – and both men and women can find success without the added baggage of how their perceived personalities can weigh them down.

We applaud efforts like those of Pantene and Sheryl Sandberg to tackle these issues for women in the workplace. For more commentary on the Pantene ad and other examples of gender differences enacted in the workplace, check out this post from Upworthy. For more from Sheryl Sandberg, visit the Lean In website or check out the book, Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead. How will you continue this conversation?

How Executive Presence and other Skills Can Help You Solve Issues in the Workplace

Every professional and every workplace will have to manage conflicts at some point or another: there is no escaping this truth. The key is to handle issues elegantly and effectively, whether you are addressing a conflict with one individual or a tricky situation plaguing the whole office.

By drawing on your strengths as a logical, strategic thinker, as well as putting your Executive Presence to use, you can solve any issue you are faced with. Below are a few strategies for managing issues and preventing further conflict in the future.

View any issue as a problem with an answer.

  •  Whatever the issue is, start by using logic. A workplace issue, no matter how complex or filled with passion and emotion, can be solved like a math problem.
    Start by getting to the root of the issue. Does someone in the office feel threatened?
  • Is there a problem of competition in your office? What about negative behaviour, such as gossip or bullying? Or, does the issue result simply from miscommunication?
  • Before you move on to any possible solutions, it’s important to understand where the problem is coming from.

When approaching an issue, draw on your Executive Presence.

  • Do not get flustered or distracted by the strong emotions ridden in the issue. Instead, exhibit grace under fire – a key component of Gravitas – by maintaining a confident, cool head and continuing to focus on the logic of the problem and solution.
  • Another important element of Gravitas is decisiveness. Be decisive when dealing with issues: do not just leave a problem hanging and hope that it solves itself. Prolonging the situation will only make things worse. Take action, but only after careful consideration.

Communication can be both the problem and the solution.

  • Communication – or lack thereof – is often the source of a workplace issue. Reflect on or ask those involved whether miscommunication could have contributed to the conflict at hand.
  • Global Post’s Top Ten Communication Problems in the Workplace reveal that so many issues can stem from bad communication. Review this list and reflect on whether you have ever been affected by these forms of miscommunication, from confusing information to wrong communication methods applied to the wrong audience.
  • Whether or not communication is part of the problem, it is always part of the solution. Communicate openly with all parties involved in the conflict, so that all perspectives are given equal attention and value. If necessary, communicate with Human Resources for further assistance in solving a problem.

How can you limit or prevent further issues?

  • Besides striving for effective communication practices, how else can leaders in their organizations prevent issues from forming (or at least getting out of hand) in the future?
  •  Set workplace standards and ensure that all policies are clearly defined and enforced. This is important for confirming that all employees are on the same page and understand the functioning of the office. See our suggestions on implementing a policy for a scent-free office – these methods can apply to any policy.  
  • Foster a healthy, high-calibre and inclusive workplace culture. If employees are thriving and feel that they are contributing something valuable and meaningful to your organization, this will reduce the number of issues stemming from employee dissatisfaction. Also, employees will feel comfortable to reach out and seek solutions when problems inevitably arise.

How To Facilitate Effective Meetings

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As a leader in your company, you will encounter various roles and responsibilities that will allow you to demonstrate your leadership. One example is in facilitating effective meetings. In a productive meeting, the organizer communicates their ideas while incorporating the valuable contributions from other participants, while simultaneously managing time and direction of the meeting to ensure efficiency. In doing so, the meeting facilitator demonstrates the ability to guide and contribute to the overall strategy of the organization.

Below are several tips on facilitating the most effective – and efficient – meetings.

Prepare in advance

It may seem obvious, but the universal motto to “be prepared” applies for several different components of a great meeting:

  • Write the itinerary ahead of time and email it to meeting participants. Seeing the schedule on paper and running through the length of the meeting in advance will help you to gauge whether the meeting time will run long and if you need to cut out any items from the itinerary.

Also, emailing the itinerary to participants will allow them to know what to expect. This will let them ruminate over discussion points in advance and likely better ensure the meeting stays on track.

  • Circulate any pre-reading at least two days in advance, if possible. Background reading, if relevant, is an excellent addition to a meeting in that it will facilitate a more robust and informed discussion. Just make sure you give participants enough time to review the materials.
  • Avoid technical difficulties during meeting time by testing any technical components – presentations, teleconference lines or otherwise – in advance.

During the meeting

During the meeting, a few tactics can help you to address the main points of discussion clearly and concisely:

  • Use materials to illustrate key concepts. Presentations, handouts, binders or other materials that lay out ideas visually for participants will help them to follow along and internalize the messages.
  • Incorporate discussion throughout the meeting. The primary difference between a meeting and a presentation is that the role of the meeting participant is essential in the outcome of meeting – so let their opinions play a part! To capture the points of discussion, ensure someone is designated to take notes during the meeting.

Follow up

The process is not over when a meeting concludes. Take the appropriate follow-up steps to ensure the effectiveness of your meeting:

  • By the end of the meeting, determine a list of action items and who is assigned to complete each task. Also, decide what will be addressed at the next meeting. Shortly after the meeting concludes, email these items to attendees while they are still present in your mind.

Running an effective meeting includes more than simply keeping the conversation on topic. A valuable meeting can influence the overall strategy of your organization – and show your leadership skills in doing so.

New Year’s Resolutions for the Workplace

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Happy New Year! How will you ring in 2013?

Many of us start off a fresh year by making a resolution or two, aiming to better ourselves through small changes to our habits. This year, consider making a professional New Year’s resolution – because even small improvements in your routine in the office or your business interactions can help you to advance your career or make your mark professionally.

Resolve to Make Connections

Are you a shy person who only talks to familiar colleagues at networking events – or just skips the event altogether? In 2013, resolve to break out of your shell by making new professional connections, both inside and outside of your company. Besides participating in networking events, take other steps to build your contact list: set lunch dates with potential partners or clients, or schedule informational interviews with business contacts. Creating and maintaining professional relationships is an important piece of advancing and growing in your field.

Resolve to Be a Leader

Displaying leadership in the workplace is a solid building block for moving up in your company. You can demonstrate leadership in tasks big and small: anything from taking the initiative to assist a new colleague, to planning and executing an important project. Consistently displaying leadership qualities will work to your advantage, especially as management begins to notice your initiative. Practicing leadership can also boost your confidence and comfort level in the workplace.

Resolve to Improve Your Presentation Skills

No matter how impressive the content of your work, your messages simply will not resonate with colleagues or clients if you cannot deliver them in a strong presentation. Giving great presentations is something that many professionals struggle with, whether it is due to stage fright, nervousness or just unfamiliarity with speaking in front of a large group. Awareness of the key elements of an effective presentation – body language, posture, articulation, well-planned slides and talking points, appearance and attire – plus lots of practice can help you to strengthen your presentation skills and effectively deliver your messages.

Resolve to Build Your Executive Presence

Executive Presence is not a single trait that can be acquired overnight; rather, it is a hybrid of characteristics, which are all critical for a successful professional to have. A recently published study by the Center for Talent Innovation defines the foundations of Executive Presence as gravitas, communication and appearance, and makes no question of the importance of Executive Presence, stating that it “accounts for 26 percent of what it takes to get the next promotion.” You can work on building your own Executive Presence through training programs, Lunch and Learn sessions, customized webinars and individual consultations that focus on skills such as communication, business etiquette, and professional image.

Even through small changes, we can all work toward becoming stronger and more successful professionals. What better time to improve your daily habits for lasting results than at the start of a brand new year!

 

How business etiquette improve workplace culture

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Recently, The Globe and Mail released a report on the 50 most engaged workplaces in Canada. Engagement in the workplace, which, according to The Globe and Mail, is defined by “employees’ passion for their work and commitment to the company’s vision,” holds significant influence on a company’s success on so many levels: employee retention, customer relations and the ability to deliver on objectives, among countless others.

Business etiquette undeniably is a part of what creates an engaged workplace. The judging panel for this award evaluated companies based on the following eight elements: communication, leadership, culture, rewards and recognition, professional and personal growth, accountability and performance, vision and values, and corporate and social responsibility. How is business etiquette integral in certain elements of this criteria?

Communication
Business communication takes many forms: from internal to external, interpersonal to technological, everyday exchanges to larger issues management. For a business to be successful, all channels of communication must run smoothly, and business etiquette can facilitate this success.

  • Technological Communication ranges from email, texting, phone calls, voicemail, or conference calls – any form of communication that is not face-to-face. When you think about how often you use tech-based communication every day, mastering the nuances of these forms of communication – such as how to introduce yourself on a conference call or how to compose a respectful email in a difficult situation – becomes essential.
  •  Interpersonal Communication also can occur in various situations: casual meetings between colleagues, an important client or partner dinner, or a networking event. A gauge on properly handling communication in any one of these contexts is crucial to making professional connections.

Professional and Personal Growth
A company that provides its employees with the potential for growth and development is certainly on a path to success. Opportunities like seminars, trainings, lunch-and-learn sessions, or individual consulting can make a world of difference in an employee’s performance.

When business etiquette, professional image or executive presence are addressed in these contexts, an individual becomes more confident and self-aware, while simultaneously contributing the benefits and strengths of their newly sharpened traits to the rest of the team. Corporate Class Inc. provides a Executive Presence System, includes six core modules: interpersonal communication skills, techno-communication skills, workplace etiquette and best practices, presentation skills, business dress and executive dining skills.
Culture
A harmonious workplace culture functions on the respect that employees have for their colleagues, their company and for themselves. This respect is made manifest through good workplace etiquette – in essence, a necessary standard for how employees treat one another.

It’s no wonder that business etiquette and professional development are key to a company’s success – simply look no further than the role of business etiquette in the elements that define Canada’s top 50 most engaged companies!

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