Below is an article in NEWSOK.com highlighting Patti's recent program for Meinders School of Business in Oklahoma City.
First
impressions, handshakes are key to women in leadership
By:Paula Burkes | April 20, 2016
Attention
businesswomen: Want to be more successful in the workplace? Don't worry so
much, and master the perfect handshake. Such was the advice of
presenters at a women's leadership conference on Wednesday that drew 310
attendees to the Cox Convention Center. Oklahoma City University's Meinders
School of Business hosted the seventh annual event, which was presented by the
Chickasaw Nation.
Nancy Parsons, CEO of
Tulsa-founded and now Texas-based CDR Assessment Group, said studies show men
and women are basically equal in leadership energy, calmness and emotions.
“But under pressure,
men dominate and women tend to move away and not speak up,” she said.
Her company offers
coaching tools that, along with leadership characteristics, measure inherent
negative risk factors, including rule breaking, egotism and upstaging, which
all are more common to men but — perception-wise — more detrimental
to women, Parsons said.
For example, a male
rule breaker is seen as a change agent, while a female rule breaker is viewed
as inconsistent, she said. Meanwhile, an egotistical male is perceived as
overconfident, while an egotistical female frequently is called the b word.
“We're taking
ourselves out of the running for fear of failure,” Parsons said. “We women
often work harder, putting in 80 hours, but we're not being noticed because
we're not speaking up,” she said, noting worrying is seen as a lack of courage,
and companies want leaders with courage.
Atlanta-based body language expert Patti Wood said first
impressions on credibility, likability, attraction and power are made within
the first second of meeting someone, and take up to six months of face-to-face
interaction to change.
Because women want to be perceived as equals, they always
should extend their hands for handshakes, Wood said.
When someone approaches, people should raise their
eyebrows to show an openness, which causes approachers to be open, Wood said.
“Then scoop in, with your hand tilted down, so you get a palm-to-palm firm
grip, versus someone grabbing the end of your fingers in a wimpy handshake,”
she said.
To compensate for bone-crusher handshakes: “Use your free
hand to encompass the shake, and send the symbolic message, ‘You're
surrounded,' ” she said.
For shakers who won't let go: “Lean in over your right
foot, to discombobulate them so they'll loosen their grip and you can splay
your fingers and break down and away.”
Other conference
highlights include:
•Jaynie Studenmund, a
public company board member of LifeLock, Pinnacle Entertainment and Core Logic,
and former southern California banking and Internet executive, said colleagues
always trump products.
“An A group of people
can turn a B product into an A product,” she said. Also, “keep walking cash, so
you're not emboldened to a particular job because of what it pays” and “Take
jobs or board positions to get out of your comfort zone.”
•Brian Uzzi, a
professor of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, said
networking is not about having lunch, but sharing sports, nonprofit, community
service and other activities with something at stake, such as a record to
break.
“Through shared
activities, we build trust with a diverse group of people who see our true
colors,” Uzzi said.
Bill Gates' big break
came through his mom's service with an IBM executive on a United Way board, he
said. When IBM opened up its desktop publishing division, it — at the
suggestion of Gates' mom, Mary Gates — opened proposals to smaller
companies and Microsoft won the exclusive licensing agreement.
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.
