How to beBee a chameleon.

Because of beBee's multi-linguistic environment, I am reading about the desires and efforts to learn a new language, to reach out and communicate with someone else's words. @Ali Anani posted Minds in the laundry, or Mente en lalavandería as a bilingual Buzz. But now I came across @Aitor García Gonzalez's post, TAKE OFF THE MASK WITH BEBEE in which he writes that we have created a "pseudo - I when we went out to the street, carrying in the bag the faces, in our view necessary to spend the day." This is also a language. A language that we universally share. Yet, it's not Esperando. 

I consider our mother tongue to be the non-verbal sensory based language of creativity. This is the language we carry with us everywhere and this is the underlying language of our verbal communication. 

The business community at large has a common language and culture. And like any environment in which you need to not only exist but thrive, you need to learn the language and understand the culture. This can be a daunting task especially if you have been living, learning and working in other, different environments.

So how do I take my "I" and walk into a business environment, speak the language of that environment but continue to be "me"? One way is to learn from the chameleon.

Much emphasis is being placed on being your authentic self. Hard work when you consider that first you need to know who that is, who you are, then understand how you can be with others who are different, connect with them and work with them while still maintaining that authenticity.

"To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” - Tony Robbins 

From the moment you take that first step…

When entering any place where you are about to make an initial contact, whether someone’s office, a conference room, a networking meeting, BE AWARE.  What sense do you get, formal or informal, people friendly or product focused?  How do the people in the area come across, open and talkative, quiet and work focused? Don’t focus internally on your fears or doubts, or even excitement. Be an objective observer and pick up as much information of your surroundings as possible. 

From the moment you make that first contact….

When you begin to engage, your stance communicates; I want to be here, I am interested in who you are and what you have to say. You make eye contact, and listen. You respond to what you hear, not what you rehearsed or prepared in advance. You wait for an appropriate entry and connect by saying something that follows up on what was just said; what an interesting point, did you ever hear John Smith speak on a similar topic, I found myself in a similar situation and what seemed to make a difference was...  

If the purpose of the meeting is for you to present who you are, what you know, or your ideas, as you have already taken in the feel of the place and the way people relate, you match that energy and become a story teller. Don’t come off sounding like a resume or a written proposal. You want to engage, make contact, and speak directly to the person or people in front of you or around you. Move your gaze from person to person, speak comfortably and pause from time to time to check in and see if there is an opportunity for a question or comment.

Everything about your demeanor, from your non-verbals such as eye contact, tone of voice, body posture, facial expressions, to your verbal communication such as stories and sharing of information related to what you are hearing, all communicate; this is where I want to be and you are the person or people I want to spend my time with.

When you engage in this way you blend with the people and the environment while not letting go of who you are; your authentic self.