07 Dec The New Definition of Professionalism
Women often believe they need to assume an overly authoritative and professional demeanor to be taken seriously. The problem is that audiences can interpret this as patronizing or chilly, and perceive you as having a superior attitude. The last thing you want is a negative perception, since this will affect how the audience evaluates your content.
I appreciate how difficult it is for women to give themselves permission to be a bit rough around the edges. However, if you want to engage an audience, you need to give people the impression that you’re in the moment and that you’re always searching for the right words and phrases to connect with them.
This is a sea change for women. We’ve always believed the only way to be accepted or taken seriously was to put forth unassailable arguments and deliver masterfully constructed, grammatically correct text. In truth, idiomatic expressions and incomplete sentences or phrases (the way we speak in normal conversation) are more valuable than perfect diction, perfectly crafted sentences, or perfect anything!
“The New Definition of Professionalism” is an excerpt from my new book, Out Front: How Women Can Become Engaging, Memorable and Fearless Speakers. You can pre-order your copy of Out Front here.
No Comments