Passing the police station on London’s Bishopgate recently, I noticed a young, female lawyer framed in the doorway, changing out of heels and into flats for the walk back to the office. (Nine years in the legal sector means you can spot a lawyer pretty quickly).
Of course, how we look at work – male and female – is important to others’ perceptions of us and how seriously they take us (or not). I often see women – and the odd man – huddled in doorways changing shoes in the morning before they go into their office. In this instance, I did wonder if the best place to do the job was in full sight of the station’s front desk; heels can add a lot to women’s confidence – they often say that they feel the added height confers a sense of authority and gravitas upon them – so surely best to keep that secret weapon... secret?
This little vignette made me reflect that much of our coaching practice here at Kissing With Confidence is in dealing with people’s confidence issues. Lack of confidence isn’t restricted to “junior” people – far from it. Loads of the senior people we talk to tell us they suffer from imposter syndrome, fearing that at any moment they’ll be found out for “just” being them. They often want to look at developing their personal brand, exploring the things that sap their confidence and work on strategies to help them increase it. Image is one of the things that can build or destroy personal brand. It may sound like teaching your granny to suck eggs, but a surprising number of us fail to hit the mark every time in terms of what we wear and what message that sends out about us. Coaching can be a powerful and speedy way to work out how to get it right.
Our coaching approach is dynamic, results-focussed and challenging. We love it. Our clients love it. We’re pretty confident that you’ll love it.
PS – practising what we preach, only yesterday I bought a pair of flat, but dressy shoes that I can wear to and from, but more importantly into, our clients’ offices. Then I’ll put the real shoes on in comfort and privacy – giving myself a boost in more ways than one. No more hiding in doorways for me.
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about the author
Nicky Denegri is our Senior Consultant. If you would like to know more about this subject, drop her an email and we will be in touch.
