Are You "Class Reunion Ready"?

Ok everyone-the dreaded class reunion season is just around the corner! Who has one scheduled this summer? Show of hands please! Who is just a teeny apprehensive about going? We are here to help!

First and foremost, just get over yourself and all the insecurities class reunions can bring up. No one is the same person they were way back then including you. Decide to attend and decide to have a great time reconnecting with old friends. It’s well past time to toss all those insecurities out the window. There’s something about being with high school friends that brings all of that baggage to the surface, but try to remember, everyone is feeling the same way. Go with a great attitude of happiness and security about who you are today and delight at seeing everyone who is there. Your attitude will shine through and others will appreciate you!

Here are a few other suggestions to help overcome potential stumbling blocks you may encounter along the way.

“Honey, wanna go to my class reunion”? When your spouse won’t know anyone there, the answer probably depends on them. Do they enjoy socializing? Are they outgoing? Do they want to go? If the answer is “no” to these questions, then you may be better going alone or with a group of friends. Let’s face it-you will have a better time if you aren’t worried about your spouse sitting alone waiting on you to be ready to leave. However, by all means take your spouse if this is something they enjoy! They may learn something about you they never knew before!

“Should I know you?” We’ve all been in that situation even in our every day lives. It is awkward and uncomfortable for everyone! In this situation, it’s best to either read the name tag or ask for a name. You can say something like “it’s been so long but it’s all coming back to me now!” Try to reference something you remember about them from high school. Make a joke about yourself and your bad memory. With Facebook, you now have access to so much more information on the front end than ever before. You can “creep” (as my kids call it!) on high school friends before going and perhaps recognize them when you see them in person. However, if you don’t recognize someone, don’t stress over it. Everyone understands this happens, especially at these types of events.

“Where do you work?” That question can make some feel judged for their choices and/or accomplishments in life. Perhaps a better question to ask is “how do you spend your time?” or “what do you like to do in your spare time?” You are asking more than just “where do you work” with those questions and you may learn some very interesting things about others. They can tell you about their job if they choose, but they can also tell you so many other things about themselves. Once again you can use those “creeping” skills on Facebook to learn about your classmates beforehand and be ready with some potential conversation starters. You may find that you have common ground with someone that you never knew existed!

This is just a start to get you “class reunion ready”! We will address more potential stumbling blocks in our next blog including the biggie-what to wear! Stay tuned!

Become Your Own Chief Energy Officer

I know we all get things forwarded to our email inbox that we sometimes take the time to look at and sometimes not. But this email was forwarded to me last week and I found it so interesting, especially since this was my latest blog topic! What great timing! I want to share these excellent tips with everyone on “Becoming Your Own Chief Energy Officer”. Thanks to Greg Campbell of Walmart ISD for sharing the information. The tips came from The Energy Project (www.theenergyproject.com). Check it out for loads of tips and great information!

Becoming Your Own Chief Energy Officer

Top 10 Rituals for Performing at your best

1. Choose specific times and days to do at least three cardiovascular and two strength workouts each week.

2. Eat energy rich foods, focusing on proteins and complex carbohydrates, every three hours. A typical day should include three smaller meals and two snacks (each 100-200 calories).

3. Begin preparing for sleep at least 45 minutes prior to going to bed by quieting your body and mind. Sleep at least 7-8 hours per night.

4. When you notice yourself feeling like you’re a victim, separate the facts of the situation from the story you are telling yourself. What is the most realistically optimistic story you could tell here without denying or minimizing the facts? Put another way, how would you respond to this situation at your best?

5. When you feel triggered – pushed into negative emotions–take a deep breath and “feel” your feet. Whatever you feel compelled to do, don’t. Buy time until you feel able to truly reflect on how you’d like to respond, rather than simply reacting.

6. Designate specific times throughout the day when you ask yourself: “What energy quadrant am I in?” If you find yourself on the negative side of the quadrants, ask yourself: “What do I need to do to move myself back over to the positive side?

7. Before you go to bed, identify the most important task you could do the following day. Do the most important thing first thing in the morning by scheduling a minimum of 45 minutes and no more than 90 minutes for this task for 60 to 90 minutes. Treat this time as sacredly as you would a meeting. When you are finished, take a renewal break.

8. Set aside designated periods of time each week to reflect, strategize and focus on the big picture.

9. Set aside regularly scheduled times – at least five minutes for each one – during which you meditate or engage in a deep breathing exercise in order to develop and train the “muscle” of absorbed focus.

10. Check in with yourself once a day to reflect on this question: “How aligned is my behavior today aligned with my deepest values – the person I want to be?” If you’ve fallen short, what change do you need to make going forward?

So there you have it. We hope you find this insightful. We would love to hear your feedback and thoughts!

Displaying Personal Energy

As a leader in your company or organization, it is vitally important that you demonstrate and sustain personal energy. Why is this so important? What are the steps to take to ensure you constantly project personal energy? Watch Kathryn's latest video blog for all the answers! We would love to hear your feedback.

Happy New Year!

It’s that time of year once again when we are determined to make meaningful New Year’s resolutions that will make us happier, healthier and more productive. Here are some things you may want to consider when making your own New Year’s resolutions.

• Is your resume up to date? Now is the time to review and refresh your resume. This doesn’t need to be hard or painful. A little work in this area could pay off big for you later this year. Reflect on your recent accomplishments and add them to your resume. There are numerous sites online full of tips and that can help you get started. One example can be found at Monster.com. This could be the year that a new opportunity presents itself and you need to be prepared with that resume.
• Is your wardrobe current and relevant? You have heard it before -- dress for the job you want, not the job you have. It may be time for a closet cleanout and audit to get rid of the dead weight and to identify holes in your wardrobe. We did a blog on this topic awhile back to help with this chore. See our tips here. You can also make some money from your cast offs. Here’s another previous blog with some suggestions. See it here. If you still don’t know where to start or just need some advice to figure it all out, give us a call! We can help get your closet cleaned out, organized, and ready for the new year!
• What is one small thing you can do to improve your health? Here are a few very simple suggestions. 1) If you drink soda, switch to diet. By cutting your total calorie consumptions, and replacing your regular soda with diet soda, you are bound to lose a few pounds with minimum effort. Better yet-just switch to water! 2) Choose to park at the back of the parking lot and walk. A little extra exercise will burn more calories with a minimum of effort. 3) Make and keep doctors’ appointments. Get a physical and any other screenings you may need. Don’t ignore your body when something seems wrong. Your health should be a top priority!
• Are you networking for maximum potential? There’s a lot that goes into networking, but there’s one simple action you can do to get noticed. Hand write a personal note to let people know you appreciate them or to thank them for something they have done. Put together your own note writing kit with the items you will need such as nice stationary or note cards, a good pen and postage stamps. If your supplies are handy, you will be more likely to grab them and write that note. In today’s world of emails, texts and Facebook a hand written note says you care even more.
  

We hope this is helpful in making this the best New Year ever!

An Image Christmas List

For the most part, and within my means, I buy what I want when I want it. It's one of the few benefits of adulthood vs. childhood.  But at Christmastime, this fact becomes a problem for family members who want to give me a present. They become annoyed when I say "there's nothing that I really want or need!"  If you can relate to this, then you know it's important to think of gift ideas so our family can feel good about getting us something relevant. Here are a few items that will be easy for your loved ones to manage (little or no sizing required) and will boost your professional image at the same time.

• A New Phone Cover - The condition of your accessories is a reflection of you. We use our phones so often and may not notice how worn or scratched the cover may be looking. A sleek leather or metal case makes a great impression while it protects your phone from wear and tear. Here are some great ideas for new cases. 

• A Fine Leather Belt- The ubiquitous calf skin leather belt is what most men find in department stores. Here's an opportunity to upgrade to the next level with an exotic skin belt. Lizard, alligator and crocodile belts, with their interesting textures come with a hefty price, but also make a statement that is both classic and fashionable.

• Shoe Shine Kit - Gentlemen, unless you have a personal valet or access to a traditional shoeshine stand, you must maintain your own shoes.  Basic kits are readily available online -- why not ask for shoe trees as well so your dress shoes will keep their shape and last for years.

• A Leather Folio - You run to meetings all day, so look organized and classy at the same time with a fine leather folio for notes and documents.

• Diamond Earrings Studs for Women- Although I personally don't own real diamonds (can't go there after seeing the movie Blood Diamond), there's no doubt that those shiny stones (real or fake) make a great accessory, are always in style and provide that bit of light around the face.

• Detail My Car - Your vehicle is an extention of your image, but you're probably too busy to do much more than run through the car wash. This is a great gift for kids to provide -- let them get into the vents with a Q-tip and toothbrush. Then feel confident offering to drive your work colleagues to lunch!

• A Garment Steamer - The Jiffy Steamer is the best way to keep your clothes wrinkle free and save $$ at the dry cleaners.  Our #1 pick for clients -- see details at their website.

Looks professional for under $200.

• A Professional Watch - Professionals need an analog (not digital) watch -- you know, with hands that move around a face. Think sleek, not chunky. Look for a fine leather or metal band -- it's possible to spend thousands here, but you can get the same look for much less as well!

Image Matters wishes you a wonderful Christmas and a New Year full of  personal and professional success!

Holiday Tips for the Professional

Does going to the company Christmas party stress you out? Or maybe you are the spouse who must go to the party not knowing anyone. Should you take a hostess gift? Kathryn has all the answers! Watch our newest video blog on holiday tips for the professional. We would love to hear feedback from you!

All Hail Paul Ekman!

I am continually studying the power of non-verbal communication – both for my own sake and for that of my clients. If you are not aware of your own body language, you’re probably not in control of what you are really communicating! So there’s rarely a client of mine that doesn’t get coaching in this aspect of their presence. Through the study of body language, not only can we learn how to portray ourselves as confident, powerful, thoughtful professionals (even if we’re not!), but we can also have a deeper understanding of the people around us. A good body language reader can almost seem like a mind reader – and that’s powerful insight in a business setting!

When it comes to body language, most people immediately think about the basics – crossing arms indicates you’re closed, clenched fists indicate anger, etc. The basics are important and extremely useful to understand and control. But if you really want to advance your body language reading ability, get to know the work of Paul Ekman, the genius psychologist who pioneered the study of emotions and how it relates to facial expressions. (As an aside, the Fox TV show “Lie to Me” is based on Paul Ekman’s work.)

Ekman’s study of the isolated South Fore tribesmen of Papua New Guinea led him to understand that certain emotions are basic to all humans and universally identifiable in facial expressions. These are Anger, Disgust, Fear, Happiness, Sadness, Surprise, and Contempt. His further research identified “microexpressions” or fleeting emotional signals that last for only a fraction of a second, and unlike basic body language, are nearly impossible to control. Therefore, being able to spot and identify these brief flashes of emotion can give us an edge in business and relationships. Want to see if you’re a “natural” in identifying microexpressions? Check out this test. Try it without freezing the image. Let me know your score – I only missed two…

Ekman not only developed the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) which categorizes every conceivable human facial expression, but has researched and published widely on all aspects of non-verbal communication as well as specializing in deception and lie detection. If you are really serious about this area, you can even get specific training on Ekman's website – obviously useful for law enforcement professionals and the like.

Start focusing on what people are saying with their bodies, faces and gestures-- you’ll be surprised at how much information is not verbalized!