Standing Up to Underscore Your Words

One of the things my instructors at Texoma Regional Police Academy drilled into my head from day one was the Art of Command Presence. A critical factor in controlling a situation for a police officer is to always stay on your feet. Trying to verbally control a group of distraught human beings from a sitting position is the absolute opposite of command presence.

You cannot rely on your title to make people pay attention to you or absorb what you are saying. One of the key components of face to face communication is body language. Rising to your feet to make an important point is often the best way to drill your words into the memories of your peers.

The simple act of standing up during a conversation is the equivalent of bold underlined text in print.

There are times to appropriately use this technique, and there are many more times to refrain from it. If you are in an occupation that regularly requires you to attend meetings, and you have trouble getting people to take what you say seriously, try this simple activity once in a while when you have something important to say.:

When you find the opportunity to talk, begin speaking, then ease your chair back and rise to your feet. Make it a natural movement, you don't want to startle your peers by jumping up as if you've been bitten on the hip.

Don't lean on the table or over your neighbor, just stand up straight and deliver what you have to say. And don't make a speech. Be concise, clear, and to the point.

Speak as you normally would. The only difference from your typical contribution to the conversation should be that you are standing for a few moments rather than sitting. When you have made your statement or asked your question, sit back down.

This may feel awkward to you the first few times you do it, but with practice it will become natural and you will find it creates a great internal sense of confidence.

Key to this method of underscoring what you have to say in the minds of others is to say something important and correct. It is a two-edged sword. If you say something wrong or stupid, standing up is going to impress your comment on the minds of your listeners just as it will if you say something intelligent and important.

Choose your times and words carefully, and in future discussions you will often hear folks saying things like, "Remember when [your name] stood up and said..."

...Hopefully the remainder of that sentence will be something that highlights your positive contribution to the meeting.

Rising above your peers in a physical way when you need their attention is easy to do, yet few people have realized it is a simple and natural thing to do. Watch those who have risen in the corporate hierarchy during meetings when you can. You will often see them get on their feet when they are speaking. They probably never had someone tell them to do this, but their make-up as leaders compels them to stand when they are passionate about what they have to say.

Making a conscious decision to stand in order to develop passion for what you are saying works just as well.