If you haven’t seen the documentary Last Dance featuring Michael Jordan, you may want to add it to your viewing list. Jordan is an example of true consistency in mastering a skill. In the documentary, he shared that he would deliberately practice by making 1000 shots a day…6000 shots a week. He then said, “What gets rewarded in public is practiced in private.”
To master the skill of influence, you must practice being consistent deliberately.
First, are you consistent with how you show up and how you stay showed up for every conversation? Or do your listeners have to guess who will show up on a Monday vs. a Wednesday? Are your emails, text messages and social media posts consistent with how people experience you via Zoom?
Second, is your body language consistent with your message?
When you’re consistent, you eliminate doubt in your listener’s mind. Consistency equals authenticity, which equals trust. Without trust, influence cannot occur.
Consistency was another area of our work that we researched with The Social Research Lab at the University of Northern Colorado. Our qualitative and quantitative outcomes proved that our clients agree consistency is necessary to achieve a successful leadership role.
After attending our workshops, 75% of our clients agreed that they were more consistent with their personal branding—how they show up, which leads to influence.
These results communicate the need for consistency when trying to influence virtually. You now have a box to influence through…to build your virtual brand. We’ve all realized how difficult this can be.
Recommendations to help you be consistent:
This week, look closely at how you show up Monday morning through the week to your last interaction on Friday afternoon.
Whether your camera is on or off, if you lose focus on your personal brand, you risk damaging relationships, your reputation and the ability to influence action.
Write down the delivery behaviors that were inconsistent with your message.
Video record several different conversations you have in a week.
When you watch your playback, is your delivery different from one conversation to another that it’s interfering with your consistency?
Commit to seeking feedback about how you can change those behaviors and then do the work. Think like an athlete. How you practice, and the amount of practice you commit to will make you more influential.
