Why intention matters (part 512)—
Because we can see it on your face, read it in your body, and hear it in your voice. You tell us what is really going on with you, and boy is it fascinating!
I was coaching a woman recently, let’s call her Laura, who had been asked to give a presentation about a new project that she wants to get off the ground. She’s really passionate about it, and the idea seemed like a no-brainer to me, from a business standpoint. I asked her to run through her presentation so I could see it.
Almost as soon as Laura began, the wheels came off the wagon. The person who was enthusiastically describing her idea to me was gone. Now, the defiant set of her shoulders and chin, the clipped tone of her voice, and her speedy vocal pace all let me know that her intention was to defend her idea and prove me wrong. It was as if I had said, right before she started: “By the way, no matter what you say, we’re not going to greenlight this plan.”
When she finished, I said, “So you’ve been having a hard time getting any traction on this, huh?” She was surprised; how did I know? “You gave the presentation with a chip on your shoulder. You were already mad at me and I hadn’t done a thing!” She laughed and admitted that she had had several meetings on this topic and hadn’t been able to get anywhere.
The key here is that Laura didn’t realize that she was bringing that backstory into this presentation. All those frustrating meetings were coming along with her for this presentation, which was going to be for more senior executives at her company than she had talked to before. This was a fresh chance for her to get people on board with her idea, but if she didn’t knock the chip off her shoulder, she’d run the risk of alienating the audience.
Laura decided on a new intention, to inspire action. In the next rehearsal, her entire demeanor changed–her face was lighter, she landed her sentences, and I could actually focus on the content of what she was saying rather than her body language.
The power of intention, folks. It shows up whether or not it’s invited.
