Connect with co-workers to excel

When it comes to a job search, you have to sell Your ability to really connect with networking contacts and interviewers makes a difference. Once you have the job, though, a connect-with- colleagues mindset allows you to excel.

Here’s a book that can help you connect your dots: “The Power of Presence: Unlock Your Potential to Influence and Engage Others” by Kristi Hedges.

Presence is a quality of people who can achieve rapport with and hold the attention of an audience. Whether you’re an extrovert or introvert, presence opens doors — wide. It marries your intent with another’s perception by using authenticity to connect the dots between your intention and their reaction. Being authentic means that you are you — you don’t have to be more than that.

Situations trigger “in the moment” emotions, actions and responses. That said, most situations require preparation, not improvisation. Hedges poses two questions to answer before every communication opportunity: “1. How do you want your audience to feel about this exchange? 2. What emotion do I want to embody?” You can’t deliver a “call to arms” in a dull monotone. You can’t deliver a serious message by being funny.

Hedges believes that presence and personality are tightly bound; she also knows that personality isn’t totally fixed. While your core values don’t change, your personality can adopt new perspectives through education and observation.

If your comfort zone has become ho -hum, Hedges offers a five -step personal change program:

1. Make time for reflection. Think about new ways of doing things. What outcomes do you want? What actions do you have to take?

2. Focus on solutions, not problems. Emphasizing what’s possible creates different patterns of creative thinking.

3. Strike while your aha moments are hot. Write down “Ideas I’d like to try.” Use your list to develop action plans.

4. Just do it (at least in a small way.) Baby steps boost confidence. Too much too soon overwhelms.

5. Find your flow. Think of times when you were “in the zone.” How did you get in it? How did it feel? Capture that feeling with your action plan.

How do you make your presence felt? Use SCARF — Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness and Fairness. Each plays a role in showing others they’re important.

Regardless of where people are on the organizational ladder, they must be shown respect. When shown an appreciation of their talents, value and views, they listen and respond better.

There’s too much out of an organization’s control, but you can help organize the chaos. Provide the what-howwhen details and ask for input.

— You’ve acknowledged their talent. Let them use it to flesh out and execute the what-how-when. When they buy in, they bring a sense of personal urgency and responsibility to the collaborative process.

— “Finding commonalities and forging connections is critical to influencing.” Leaving people uninformed quickly erodes their status within a team.

— Take time to explain the why behind decisions and actions. “The more people can be assured that a decision is fair and balanced, the easier it will be for them to accept it.”

The bottom line on establishing your presence: Create opportunities for others to shine and make sure they get the credit.