I was in a workshop today on presentation skills and one of the things they had us do was present something to the group while they filmed us. I just finished watching the DVD they made of my presentation and came to the following conclusions:
- I should have started my diet six months ago rather than only last week;
- I will never wear a sleeveless dress again without a jacket;
- I really need to spend a little more time styling the back of my hair and not just the front.
Other than the reality check of the above three items, it was a great way to see how I project myself and how other people see me. If we could all see how we act with each other, I wonder if that would change the way we behave in the office.
At times I have wondered why a colleague has taken something I've said the wrong way or gotten a certain impression about me. Now I think I have a better understanding of what may have happened. Perhaps I had a look in my eye or my tone was sharp or any number of things in my mannerisms could have given the impression that I was angry or frustrated with them. Of course, the reason could have been that I was up all night with a sick child or wasn't feeling well myself or I just had an argument with my spouse and was still stewing about it. Sometimes the way we act with our colleagues has nothing at all to do with the situation at hand or with that person.
Now that I've seen myself on camera, I am going to be a little more mindful about how I might be perceived by my co-workers. I am also going to have a complete makeover, but that's another story...
4 comments:
It's also important to note the GOOD things you see Patricia. I find we are often very critical of ourselves and it often impacts how we behave or project ourselves.
I agree that it's good to be mindful of our appearance, tone, body language when speaking to colleagues.
I was actually just reading a chapter of the book "The Art of Extreme Self-Care" by Cheryl Richardson which speaks to some of this.
Helene Sinclair
Thank you to both of you for your comments. Other than the extra work I need to do at the gym to tone up and trim down, I saw some good qualities as well and it was helpful to see myself present. I now have to do another presentation on Monday, but this time with my new knowledge on how to do it better.
Thanks Anonymous for sharing. If I have put a smile on your face, then I have achieved my goal for the blog.
Thanks,
Patricia
I just have to tell you that I LOVE your blog. A resource like this is great for anyone that either works in the administrative field or wants to.
I teach an Administrative Professional course at a business college in Winnipeg and I have a website for my classroom. I've added your blog to the Helpful Links section and I've even got a quote from your blog on the front page!
Keep up the good work! Oh, and if you ever happen to be out in the Winnipeg area I would LOVE to have you come and speak to my students! My email is danielle.mcgaw (at) robertsoncollege (dot) net if you ever plan on being out this way!
Thank you Danielle, I have only driven through Winnipeg. My boss is from there however.
Thanks for linking to my blog on your website and if I am ever in the area, I will let you know.
Patricia
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