Ask many a HR professional what their most desired qualities are and it is likely that being charming wouldn’t feature highly. Yet charm, that intoxicating ability to draw others in and draw them out, the skills to set another at their ease so completely that their nerves are eradicated and the know-how to make an individual feel like the most interesting person in the room, are surely integral to many of a HR’s undertakings. Charm doesn’t mean being overbearing or sycophantic, quite the opposite, but remains elusive to many largely because it is underrated, underappreciated and perhaps just a little misunderstood. It is an old school, rustic delight with simple ingredients of kindness, modesty, agreeableness and politeness that the modern palate dismisses in favour of the contemporary dish that is on everyone’s table. Here are 5 ways that you can bring a more charming approach to every interaction.
1. Don’t be afraid to show a little vulnerability
We are conditioned to achieve and to succeed with social and professional profiles proclaiming just this. It has become so commonplace that we have become afraid to show even a chink in the armour we have created less it comes falling down with a dreadful clatter. But charming people know that the odd touch of vulnerability allows others to see them as human, real and approachable. They are willing to share their foibles openly and the occasional funny anecdote at their own expense. A mirage is enticing but ultimately devastatingly disappointing.
2. Say less
In our rush to promote our personal brand, the temptation to reiterate our general fabulousness to all we encounter can be overwhelming. Charming people don’t do this, instead they are assured within their own skins, preferring to let others have their moment to shine. Like an indulgent Aunt or Uncle they utilise their significant questioning skills to equip others with the robes and adornments to become an active player in the performance.
3. Look for agreement rather than contradiction
Our professional roles demand that we must challenge decisions, viewpoints and plans, defend our own position or that of an employee, and search for every lace left untied that would ultimately lead to a fall. These skills are invaluable to us but when not tempered with charm they can easily morph into a combative stance that colours all of our interactions. Charming people look for points of agreement, they don’t actively look to disagree, but when appropriate are able to calmly offer a different point of view.
4. Extend the same courtesy to all
Economics suggests that the bigger the project, the greater the investment it receives. And so it often follows that the more important the person you are dealing with, the greater the oomph you put into your interactions with them. Even socially, the pecking order that we all subconsciously ascribe to becomes our normative behaviour. But there is something so appealing about a person who treats all the same, regardless of their position. Gandhi did this well and in doing so, flipped the perceptions of others about who was worthy of attention.
5. They have a genuine interest in others
There is a marked difference between a person who asks open ended questions to tick boxes and a person who has a genuine interest in what the answer is. It is said that familiarity breeds contempt and often our very many interactions with others coupled with a heaped to do list can make that spark that got us into our role in the first place, extinguish. Charming people are sincere, and always want to learn and it is this that is so appealing to others.
Paul Russell is co-founder and director of Luxury Academy London www.luxuryacademy.co.uk a multi-national private training company with offices in London, Delhi and Vishakhapatnam. Luxury Academy London specialise in leadership, communication and business etiquette training for companies and private clients across a wide range of sectors. Prior to founding Luxury Academy London, Paul worked in senior leadership roles across Europe, United States, the Middle East and Asia. A dynamic trainer and seminar leader, Paul has designed and taught courses, workshops and seminars worldwide on a wide variety of soft skills. Paul was educated at the University of London and holds a degree in Behavioural Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Workplace Psychology.
