The Four Mindsets

chapter 7 How to create a personal connection

It starts and ends with YOU!

A core component of the connection mindset is to look very carefully at how you personally connect with people. This is important, as the degree to which you personally connect with others will determine their level of interest in you, what they say to you and do for you, their perception of you and their loyalty to you (how far they will go for you).

One area to explore is the impact of your personal ‘presence'.

Presence is a tricky concept to understand. Like the X factor, it's hard to describe and define, just something you feel or sense about someone. When you ask people what presence means to them, the typical descriptions include charisma and rapport; someone has a sort of ‘aura' about them. Most people think it is a natural attribute and you either have it or you don't. It is not something you work on, it's just there when they walk into a room.

It is important to understand that to have presence is not always a positive thing. We can all relate to the idea that when certain individuals walk into a room they immediately lift the atmosphere in a positive way. But equally there are those in whose presence the general mood sinks, and then there are those whose entry goes virtually unnoticed. So presence generates a feeling and this feeling can make people feel either up or down or merely indifferent.

This response is important for managers to understand, as their presence will have a direct impact ...