Personal Engagement Power - Engaging Without Changing Who You Are

Last week I asked the question, “do we have to be big or bold or brash to get engagement”

It seems to hit a nerve with a lot of people, as I had a lot of responses.

Lots of people report feeling like they need to “perform” in order to get engagement, or that they simply can’t get engagement from some people because of who they are and how their personality is.

Some tips for this:

1. Almost no one is thinking about you in the first place!

This isn’t meant to demotivate! Rather the point is, no one is really thinking about you and your internal mental storm about this all! Most people are just busy focused on their own challenges.

The question almost always is, are you a force that helps them, or gets in the way?

2. Everyone wants you to succeed

I learned this in public speaking – no audience wants the speaker to do a bad job. It’s only the speaker who is worried about doing a good or bad job! The audience just wanted to have a have a good time!

Will you help them in that, or get in the way?

3. Once you stop thinking about yourself, and instead think about the THING, it gets easier

Let’s say you’re trying to engage with someone in your organisation who has influence over a project, but you don’t seem to get on with them. They are big and bold and brash, and that isn’t your energy. Therefore, you worry if they even respect you or like you.

You’ll find out, that once you stop thinking about YOURSELF, and instead, think more about the thing that you both have to work on, it becomes easier.

It’s like we’re all taught when it comes to managing conflict – it’s not ME vs YOU, it’s YOU and ME working on the ISSUE.

4. There are techniques. And one of them, is to own yourself, and to HARNESS yourself

There are a number of techniques to learn, and I hope to share some in the future. But one major one is that it’s not about just being yourself, it’s HARNESSING yourself, as a person who has strengths and experience and a unique take.