Let’s talk about being taken more seriously. Do you find yourself in situations, where people aren’t taking you seriously? Have you noticed that they don’t listen to you like they would listen to another person when voicing your opinion or giving an idea in a meeting? Or they completely cut you off during a meeting?
We all want to be taken seriously, especially in the workplace. You know your worth, what you are capable of and how much you can offer so why don’t they listen when you speak. Why do they not take you seriously?
How we present ourselves and come across daily greatly influences how other people perceive us. If you want to be taken more seriously, take a step back, look in the mirror, and start doing what you can to increase your influence.
Stop kidding around so much
There are a time and place for everything. It’s best to know when you can kid around and when to be serious. When you are joking around too much this makes it harder for people, including management at work to take you seriously. Knowing when to have a bit of a laugh and when to be serious is very important. Always try and assess the situation before you crack a joke or voice your opinion. If things are looking more serious like when you are in a meeting, be more professional. If you are at dinner with friends, you can joke around a little more. There are a time and place for everything.
Keep your personal life private
This is something I express greatly. Are you known in the office as the person with the most personal issues? The person that always has something going wrong and everyone must know about it? If so, change this. Learn to keep things a little more private. I understand that life is tough and we are all facing obstacles daily and some of us are a lot more open than others which is great but we need to distinguish between who we can confide in and who we can’t. You don’t want to go to your boss every week with a new personal problem. Eventually, they will get irritated and eventually stop taking you seriously. Rather keep your personal life separate from your work life.
Shake hands when you are introduced to someone new
First impressions last, remember this! When you meet someone for the first time, shaking their hand is a sign of respect and it shows confidence. Make sure you give a solid handshake. There is nothing worse than a weak handshake. Be confident enough to shake their hand and greet properly. Make eye contact and continue from there.
Be as prepared as possible
There is nothing worse than going into a meeting that you aren’t fully prepared for. If you are wanting to be taken more seriously and be heard, make sure you are prepared and ready to answer any questions posed to you. Being prepared will also make you feel more confident when answering those questions.
Always show respect
Showing respect is so important. To receive respect, you need to give respect. I am a big believer in this. Be the person that is always respectful to those around you. Always make sure you show respect to those on a lower level and top management. Show everyone the same amount of respect and never treat anyone any different. You won’t always share the same opinions with those around you but one thing you can do is be known for the respect you show towards others.
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