You Are Never Too Seasoned for an Executive Presence Tune-Up

The old adage is true – you may be an “old dog” in your field, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn new tricks. While you may have years of experience under your belt, it is always valuable to continue improving professionally and sharpening your executive presence skills. That was the primary takeaway from a recent executive coaching session I led with a national corporate client, as Inspire PR Group helped prepare a handful of seasoned leaders for an upcoming presentation to their board of directors.

A departure from our typical media and crisis communications trainings, this was an exciting challenge to support veteran executives who were quite familiar with speaking in front of C-Suite peers and giving presentations. The challenge was that some had developed unintentional crutches or were simply unaware of how they were presenting themselves – especially in a virtual setting, which is an expectation for leaders in today’s business workplace.

The exercise was an investment in their professional development as their business truly valued them as leaders. However, there were sensitivities that some may view the training as an insult to their years of experience and find it challenging to accept feedback. It was paramount to approach the training carefully while demonstrating the value of executive presence coaching at any stage of life and career.

Self-Reflection is Key

So much of coaching closely aligns with “counseling.” Taking the time to self-reflect and get real about who you are, what your strengths are and where you struggle matters. Sometimes that awareness doesn’t surface on its own and that's where intentional training can be a benefit.

Asking the right probing questions helps set the stage for successful engagement with participants: What do you want to take away from this experience? How would you rate your presentation skills? What are your strengths and opportunities? How do you prepare for presentations and potential questions you may receive?

Through this deep dive pre-training survey of participants, it was surprising to learn some brand executives still struggled with pre-presentation anxiety. It was clear coaching was needed to provide both in-the-moment feedback as well as tips to address preparation jitters and channel nervous energy.

Check Your Ego at the Door

Leading up to the initial coaching session as a group, past virtual presentations were analyzed and provided valuable insights on areas where participants could improve. During the group session, best practice tips were shared, and the leaders had an opportunity to briefly present individually, allowing them the opportunity to reflect on their own performance. Additionally, their colleagues and the Inspire training team weighed in to provide guidance.

It was an eye-opening experience for many in the group as clear areas of improvement emerged including excessive speed, low energy, unflattering camera angles and lighting, distracting habits such as touching their hair and face, as well as the dreaded “up-speak”, where the presenters intonation rises at the end of each sentence. Participants truly had to put ego aside to be able to embrace the feedback.

Giving Grace Through Guidance

During the subsequent one-on-one coaching sessions, the executives were able to run through their actual board presentations and were provided with in-the-moment feedback to fine-tune their delivery and, in some cases, the content itself. This was an intimate opportunity to get to know them better and provide targeted guidance, keeping kindness and grace at the forefront throughout the process.

Some embraced the coaching from the onset and quickly made course corrections, implementing what they had learned from the group training. Others needed a bit more support and required an extra refresher session to work out the kinks. Regardless, professionalism and appreciation were demonstrated on both sides of the Zoom camera.

The Proof is in the Delivery

Each participant received a detailed outline of their strengths and opportunities for improvement following the individual coaching. Even the most seasoned presenters had elements they could improve upon.

Following their final board presentations, it was clear the training paid off as there was marked improvement in their presence and delivery, which was noted in the feedback...

“I found this exercise produced valuable guidance and feedback that I’m looking forward to applying to up my game!”

“I wanted to tell you how great you did presenting at the board meeting this week. It was so clear to me you really took the presentation workshop to heart, and I was blown away watching you put the learnings and feedback into effect.”

The training, even with veteran leaders, also served as a valuable reminder that companies of all sizes should take stock of their leaders’ presentation skills and embrace the opportunity to continue supporting their growth journey – no matter the age or level of experience. Reject the fear that your execs may resist coaching. In the end, it will lift them up as well as your overall brand.