THE 5E’s YOU NEED TO STAND OUT IN THE WORKPLACE ACCORDING TO A COACH

As you strive daily to stand out in a post-COVID-19 corporate world, these 5e’s formula from Folake Adeniyi-Adeleye (aka FFA) will in no doubt be a great addition to or an improvement on your skillset. FFA says that the 5e’s will make you exceptional at work. You will not only survive the times we are in but also thrive because you have got these great weapons in your career arsenal.

Folake Adeniyi-Adeleye, is the founder of COACHIVATE, an organization that enables career professionals secure high level positions. She is a member of the  ICF, an NLP practitioner and a practicing Certified Coach from the Academy of Executive Coaching (AoEC). She is also an International HR Leader with a 20-year career spanning industries such as management consulting & strategic advisory, oil & gas, Telco and information technology.

The 5E’s formula you need to stand out in the workplace are as follows:

E For Energy

When you think of the word ‘energy’, physical strength readily comes to mind. But FFA says ‘positioning your ENERGY is about how you project your expertise, your experience, strengths, values, and bring all of you to the table.’ To position your energy effectively, a high level of self-awareness is a requirement. ‘Positioning your energy requires awareness. Your curiosity about things will determine how you show up. It is only from this level of self-awareness that you can go on to display your capabilities and attain professional success.’

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is a soft skill and a crucial one at that in today’s world of work. It is a must-have in your portfolio of soft skills. LINKEDIN, the world’s largest professional network researched 20+ million jobs and its 660 million+ data of professionals to ascertain the relevant soft skills that will be in demand in 2020. The report says that ‘Soft skills are the essential interpersonal skills that make or break our ability to get things done in our current jobs and take on new opportunities ahead’. From the soft skills listed, emotional intelligence was among the top five.

FFA says Emotional intelligence is crucial to your professional success because “emotionally-intelligent people are able to maintain their composure, keep their cool, make good decisions, and are aware of their ‘blind spots’. Blind spots are traits you are unaware of or oblivious to, even though others know them about you. People with a high EQ are more persuasive, empathetic and excellent at networking and managing interpersonal relationships”.

Interpersonal relationships are key to anything we do in life. Irrespective of the kind of work you do, a large chunk of input will always need one form of human relations or the other. There will always be conflicts and divergent opinions when relating with others. Therefore, failure to sharpen or develop this skill will lead to poor relations and hence clumsy outcomes.

Executive Presence

Again, FFA emphasizes that the phrase ‘executive presence’ does not mean what they are literally. She stated that they connote a set of ‘deliberate actions’ that helps you project your best possible self to those watching you whom she itemized as: superiors, subordinates and peers. Simply put, it is dressing and behaving the way you want to be addressed. Some career experts will say it is how you project yourself before decisionmakers within and outside your organization.

It entails the attention you pay to your personal grooming so you can look presentable and attract the needed attention when you showcase your value. It includes how you speak, your tone of voice, and your demeanor among others. In regards to the tone of voice, she cited an example: “my voice is quite distinct; people tell me that I have a loud, broadcasting voice, it tends to be raised. I am therefore conscious about modulating my voice in a round-table meeting of people as opposed to the way I would speak in front of a larger group of people”.

She explained that a lot of people have been denied promotions, speaking engagements, and termed unserious because of a lack of this important ability.

I have also witnessed a number of times where some colleagues’ opinions are not taken into consideration even when they make sense because of how they are perceived. So whose fault is it? The leaders or the individuals concerned? You are personally responsible for how you are perceived by others. Take responsibility for your personal brand perception. Personal branding is not for online purposes alone, but also how you present yourself offline or in-person.

The Experts

“No one succeeds alone”, says FFA. You need the “yard people” in Timi Dakolo’s (a Nigerian Musician) voice. She says that there are three significant people you need to effectively climb higher up the career ladder. They are the mentors, the coaches and sponsors.

She emphasized that lots of professionals are unaware that these three are not the same. They play different roles in helping you navigate your career path successfully. The differences? A coach fuels you with the inspiration you need to actualize your career goals. However, a mentor is one that has towed the path you want to go, and as such, is familiar with the bumps and smooth parts on that road. This gives him or her the credibility to guide you on your own journey. Finally, a sponsor is the one that sets you up for an opportunity. A sponsor further advocates for your ability to ascend a bigger role or take up an opportunity for growth. Your sponsor advocates for you in places where you ordinarily do not have access to.

Enthusiasm

Imagine a speaker or trainer presenting a great topic without any display of emotions. It will be unconvincing. The speaker will rarely be able to get the audience or participants to take the needed course of action. This is the kind of picture, in my opinion, that FFA paints when she described a professional without enthusiasm. “When qualification and experience gets your foot in the door, you need to demonstrate your skills and ability with enthusiasm. This will always set you apart”, she stated. She adds that when you are in an environment that stifles your enthusiasm, you should “Stay positive to stay focused”.

Here you have it; the 5E’s formula by Folake to stand out in the workplace. To find more about the 5E’s, go here