Woody Allen once said, “80% of success is just showing up”. But in addition to “showing up”, we can tell a lot about people by the way they show up:
- Do they consistently show up on time (or even early)?
If they do it is a sign of solid priority and time management. In our ever busy lives, it is easy to get distracted and lose sight of time and important commitments. Being on time is also a sign of respect for the people they are meeting, recognizing everyone is stretched to do more in less time. - Do they sometimes NOT show up for good reasons?
Not all meetings are high value, and sometimes people have tasks and projects with a higher priority. People with clarity of their accountabilities and goals are able to use those to say no to some meetings in favor of other, more important meetings or activities. - Do they show up prepared, rested, and ready to contribute?
Are they alert and prepared for the meeting, or are they daydreaming and unfocused because they did not get enough rest the night before? Showing up prepared is a sign that someone has put thought into, and cares about what they are doing. It also shows that they respect the time of those they are working with. - Do they show up without excuses?
Do they have excuses, or blame others, for why their tasks or projects didn’t get done? People who hold themselves accountable to their commitments show up without excuses. - Do they show up professional?
A professional, physical appearance demonstrates attention to detail and consideration for the company or brand they represent. - Do they show up for meetings with themselves?
Busy people use their calendars as a ‘first line of defense’ for their most important resource: their time. Regularly, high performers book time with themselves in their calendars to work alone on high priorities. - Do they show up for their families, friends, and communities?
How a person behaves outside of the workplace is a good representation of the behavioral patterns you will see at work.
No one is perfect. The majority of us do not demonstrate these ‘show up’ behaviors all the time. It’s not about a single situation, but more about the patterns we demonstrate and that others see.
How are you showing up? How are your people showing up? And what are these behaviors saying without words?
Article by: Tim O’Connor
