The Basics of Character/Presence
Whether strengthening your hold on or aspiring to enter the rare privilege of being seen by clients as a high impact change resource, a better understanding of how your character and presence plays in this perception is an ongoing pursuit. I’m referring to “character” as the core of our true nature; “presence” is how that uniqueness is projected to others.
Who We Are as internal specialists and external consultants is at least as significant as What We Do:
- What We Do—the concepts, frameworks, processes, and techniques used when engaged with those we support
- Who We Are—our true nature…the substance of what we have to offer as human beings
How we show up when in our working relationships—the character and presence we bring forward—is critical to earning the right to be seen as a highly valued asset.
Without question, proficiency in a dependable change methodology is a critical portion of the benefit we offer the leaders we serve. However, there is a stream of influence much more powerful than any of the concepts we use or procedures we deploy. Underneath what we do is who we are, and it is here where our optimum impact resides.
Of all the things we draw on to create leverage for our work, our true nature is our greatest asset. Only when we can stay centered on this and see it as core to the value we provide, will we be able to live up to our full potential and help others do the same.
Character
Character is grounded in the depths of personal experience—it is etched in our souls from living life. There will always be a debate as to what parts come from genetic, environmental, experiential, or spiritual influences, but one thing is certain—our character is always in play, regardless of the conditions we face.
Character is pivotal to the impact change facilitators have with those they serve. It is who we are, not what is in our bag of intervention concepts and frameworks, which ultimately determines whether we generate meaningful benefits.
Character distinguishes our work more than anything else, including the methodologies to which we pledge allegiance. Others can use the same concepts and techniques, but no one else can duplicate the outcomes we produce when our character interlaces with those words and actions. Character differentiates our work much more than the tools we sometimes so jealously protect.
Presence
Character is your true nature—your essence. As such, it’s an internal phenomenon, not directly accessible to anyone but yourself. Your interior character needs a “voice” to be expressed to the exterior world. Think of the presence you extend to others as that voice.
Presence is your subliminal identity signature that is embedded within your client interactions. The presence practitioners radiate may fall into broad categories such as peaceful, hectic, accommodating, demanding, etc., but each person has his or her own unique frequency that, when released, creates an ambient bubble like no other. Whether the exchanges are face-to-face, by phone, or by text, client interactions inside a change agent’s “influence bubble” are distinctive only to him or her.
Your impact is critically intertwined with both what you do and who you are but “Raising Your Game” is about the essence of who you are and how it plays out in your client relationships.
At Conner Academy, we help practitioners reconnect with their character and leverage it through the presence they generate to achieve more impactful results with clients. If this type of exploration resonates with you, you can learn more about our RYG workshop for individuals or our more extended Amplify curriculum for teams of practitioners.
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The Basics of Character and Presence