During the Women’s Leadership:  How to Increase Your Influence and Visibility webinar I gave last week through Progressive Business Executive Education, several participants wanted to know how they could raise their influence even when they do not see their colleagues on a regular basis. They are not alone.   Indeed, today’s market has more of us than ever before working from away from those who drive our careers.  According to GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.Com, 2.6% of the U.S. employee workforce (or, 3.3 million people) consider home their primary place of work. This number does not even take into account the self-employed, night-shift workers or those operating with global teams.

So what is it that we who work on our own can do to grow our influence among peers and superiors?  Here are some ideas:

1. Be present.  You can’t be physically with your team, but you can really be there when you do have contact with them.  Answer every email.  Participate in every call.  Ask questions.  Provide answers. Show that you have done your homework. And that you care.
2. Skype.  Whenever possible, choose Skype, Facetime or another “face-to-face” tool for teleconferences.  Actually seeing your business partner – and letting her see you is a literal way to increase your visibility.  Additionally, eye contact adds a personal touch to any business relationship.
3. Visit the business office as often as possible.  While your main place of work might be located away from the powers that be, make it a point to get to the home office at least once a month.  If your teams are spread out across the world, aim for quarterly in-person meetings.   Similar to #2 above, being physically together helps to build relationships. And, as any savvy professional knows, good relationships drive careers.
4. Be proactive.   Volunteer for company-wide programs that will bring you in touch with new-to-you associates.  Better yet, come up with your own value-producing project which requires people from a variety of departments.  Then ask to share your wins / learnings at an upcoming leadership team meeting.
5. Reach out to others.  From your desk, you can send birthday or holiday greetings, congratulate coworkers for a job well done or simply ask how someone is doing today.  Once at the office, invite others to coffee or lunch and organize in-the-flesh meetings.  Remember that developing rapport is key to getting out of our shells (literally and figuratively).

In doing the above – or any other visibility-expanding exercise – be your authentic self.  Not only is disingenuousness a turn-off to others, but it also does not allow for your true qualities to shine.   And it is these qualities which ultimately will bring you the influence and visibility which you deserve.

During a recent conversation about all that I try to juggle, a friend suggested I might want to embrace resetting as a regular practice. This was after I belted out a list of the roles which were important for me to not only to play, but to also be darn good at (!): a present Mom, , impactful Coach, thriving Business Owner, attentive Wife, Daughter, Friend, etc. etc.  etc. Whew!  Makes me exhausted just thinking about all I sometimes try to do.  

A quick look in the dictionary told me that one definition of “reset” is “to change the reading of” like a clock.  I could go for that.  Pausing, taking stock, breathing deeply, and then determining the “right” next step also seem a propos to me.  Indeed, with these descriptors and given my what I was trying to achieve, I could clearly see how resetting could be my ally.

Later that day, I went to a yoga class where the theme was, guess what?  Resetting.  Resetting the placement of my feet on the yoga mat so as to have a firm foundation.  Hmmm, resetting and a firm foundation.   So, does that mean that not taking the time to reset would cause my footing to be unsure?  It would seem so. 

Given the conversation I had just had with my friend an hour earlier, I couldn’t help but make the connection between my postural repositioning and my friend’s suggestion of resetting throughout my daily challenges. Not allowing the time it takes to reset, from the ground up, the flow of my daily life and the place of all the people in it leads to a lot of needless stumbling.  

On the other hand, creating the space for myself to get used to new footing (in the form of all the surprises thrown at me throughout the day) allows for a natural unfolding of a flow that works – one with grace and solidity.

So many of us get out of bed still half-asleep and approach our day as we have every other one – making ourselves crazy getting as far as we can down the to-do list and collapsing in bed at night.  Only to start over again the next day.  Even the French, famous for their leisurely meals and long vacations, have a rhyme for this, “metro, boulot, dodo” [subway, work, sleep] .   We can do all this without once calling into question the motivation (the real one, not “because I have to”) behind our actions. Sound familiar?

Resetting can help us in other parts of our lives, too.  At the office, we are trained to look at what’s not working and to move to immediately fixing it.  More often than not, we make frantic attempts to find a solution, any solution. But, really, how good is the outcome when we are in constant motion, without even one check-in to see how our approach might (not) be working?  Most likely not very.   How much more effective would we be if we stood back and ensured our feet were in a good position, as it were, before acting?  My bet is that it would lead to more focused action, less expended energy, and much better results.

Resetting allows us to come back to ourselves , to back up and punt when things are getting out of hand or are feeling overwhelming for us.

Take a step back.  Breathe.  Make sure your footing is on firm foundation before proceeding.  Reset.

Then begin again. With renewed vigor.

Experts say that over 90% of our success in business and in life comes from connecting effectively with those around us.  A Professional Coach provides the space, skills, and tools to help her clients cultivate that connection with the key people around them.

This partnership between a coach and an individual supports the achievement of results based on goals set by the individual. Through the process of coaching, individuals focus on the skills and actions needed to successfully produce their personally relevant results.

In essence, Professional Coaching has many facets. First, it is about helping people to recognize the way they are looking at things and to discover other, more powerful or actionable, ways to look at situations. A Professional Coach creates a safe environment for individuals to see their own blind spots and, from this, to take actions more in alignment with their whole selves. Actions taken by a whole person are more effective than those taken by someone not in alignment with herself. Thus, coaching is behavioral- and performance-focused, which means it helps individuals perform tasks better than they did before.

When is Professional Coaching a good idea?

For Individuals, when you want to:

• Clarify your priorities
• Create greater work/life balance
• Pursue your passion
• Identify strong points and development needs
• Improve performance
• Design an action plan to help you stay on track
• Be accountable for your work and life goals
• Make and sustain positive behavior changes
• Develop leadership skills and practices
• Enhance career planning and development
• Receive regular feedback and support

For  Companies, when you want to:

• Boost performance
• Increase employee morale
• Improve relationships with clients
• Reduce turnover and retain talent
• Cultivate a reputation for being committed to employee success
• Create a more positive work environment
• Generate a robust succession plan
• Enrich your industry reputation
• Attract top talent
• Position yourself for continued growth and success 

Want to receive at least some of the above benefits? Contact us today for a Complimentary Coaching Consultation.

Many women professionals struggle with having their hard work recognized at the
office. Are you frustrated with trying to get buy-in for your ideas in meetings?
Wish someone would show you ways to become more visible, and gain the seat at
the table you aspire to? Please join us for:

“Women’s Leadership: How to Increase Your Influence and Visibility”
Wednesday, December 18, 2013 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET
http://www.pbconferences.com/352/0/2/pD3WYBc/p9CYEQ4Ni/p0e/BR

Please join us to learn how professional woman can:

• Capitalize on their own unique skills and strengths to stand out
• Identify professional goals, and what it takes to get there
• Expand and deepen visibility in the workplace
• Build credibility and influence to get a seat at the table