How do you make others take you seriously?

Being smart and hard at work doesn’t necessarily mean that your colleagues or your boss will see you that way either. If you want others to take you seriously, you have to think seriously about the image that you show in front of everyone, starting with your dress and outward appearance, to your speech and body language. But how can you?

In today’s article, we are going to look at some effective and scientifically proven strategies to help you achieve this.

1- Go to work early

Studies conducted at the Michael G. Foster College at the University of Washington in the United States showed that employees who arrive early in their offices are often perceived by their managers as being more serious about their work, and they often get higher scores on performance appraisals than those who do not. who come late.

2. Learn to say “No”

Make a habit of saying no and saying “no” now and then. Successful people master the art of turning down requests if they conflict with their plans and agendas. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi says that when he wrote to several professors for interviews for the book he was working on at the time, he received a negative response from a third of them, who asserted that they did not have the time to conduct these interviews.

You can sometimes decline your manager’s requests as well, but be sure to phrase your refusal correctly. If we assume that your manager at work has assigned you a certain task, but you already have many other tasks, in this case, you can refuse this task, but smartly, as you can say, for example:

“I am happy to do this task, but accepting it means that the project I am working on now may be postponed to tomorrow because I had intended to spend the next three hours finishing it. Would you like to postpone this project and start this task?”

The idea here is about not agreeing directly to everything no matter what, even if the rejection is impossible, expressing it smartly will make you appear more serious.

3- Keep your writing simple

Resist the urge to use your repertoire of complex vocabulary. A 2012 Princeton study on the consequences of using long words unnecessarily showed that using long and complex vocabulary makes you appear less intelligent in the eyes of readers. Several sociology theses were selected, replacing long words of more than 9 letters with their shorter equivalents, and then 35 students at Stanford University were asked to read the two versions (original and simplified) and judge the author of each. As a result, the simplified versions were described as less complex and their writers seemed more intelligent.

4- wear glasses

In a research conducted at the University of Vienna, 76 participants were asked to look at 78 photos of people wearing full-frame, rimless, and people without glasses and then rate them based on many criteria including intelligence and attractiveness, with those with glasses rated as the most intelligent but the least Attractive than those who wear glasses. If you want to look more serious ASAP, then wear glasses!

5- Show warmth and efficiency

It is important to balance these two qualities to appear to others in front of others. When you are nice and warm, others will trust you more, but if you appear as a competent person who has a high academic or professional standing, this way you will impose your respect on them.

Harvard psychologist Amy Cuddy says that it’s important to start with warmth first and then competency, especially in business, as business success depends more on whether the other person is trustworthy than on competence.

6- Avoid fidgeting

Fidgeting or repetitive behaviors that indicate it may be comfortable for you if you are the one doing it, but it shows others that you are nervous, lacking strength and seriousness. If you must do such behavior, at least try to make it slower, that way you will feel comfortable without your actions being visible.

7- Let others speak for themselves

Would you like to know a little secret that will help you make a better impression of yourself? Let others speak for themselves. A study conducted at Harvard University in the United States has proven that talking about yourself stimulates your brain in the same areas that are activated when enjoying a delicious meal. When you allow others to talk about their experiences, they will become more influenced by one another and therefore it will be easier to build positive relationships with them.

8- Take care of your appearance

No one denies that outward appearance is the first thing that is judged by others. Taking an initial impression of others takes less than 100 thousandths of a second, which is a very short period of time, but it can determine the view of others around you for a very long time. So make sure you make that impression by always appearing fit. Of course, this does not mean that you wear a formal suit all the time, or that you wear clothes designed by the most famous international brands, the important thing is that you are tidy, that your clothes are clean and that you smell beautiful. Take a look at your most stylish co-workers, try to imitate their style of dress, and then notice the effect on how others think of you.

9- Master the art of the handshake

A handshake is not just about putting pressure on someone’s hand, it’s a way to show your respect for the other person. Therefore, you must master the art of handshake, stand straight, and do not forget to look into the eyes of the person you shake hands with. him. A handshake like this shows respect, and the more you show respect to others, the more you receive similar respect.

10- Know what’s going on around you

For you to show how serious you are at work, you must be aware of what is going on around you, especially in your field of work. If you are a technology worker, you should know about the latest technologies and current research in this field so that you can talk about them intelligently if asked about them, but you should also have a general culture about various other fields. Try to read the newspaper daily or watch the news at least once every two days, and don’t neglect reading books, it’s a great way to expand your knowledge.

11- Pay attention to your tone of voice

If you end your sentences with a higher tone than you started with, it will sound as if you are asking a question, which reflects your lack of confidence in what you are saying, which reduces your credibility. Strategist Bernard Marr says that using such a tone has no place at work. If you want a promising career, and want others to take you seriously, avoid doing it and always end it in a low tone to show your confidence in the truth of what you are saying.

No matter how serious you are about your work, your boss and co-workers may fail to notice, especially if your outward behavior doesn’t suggest it. But through the previous steps, you will be more able to give a positive impression of how dedicated you are to your work, but remember that appearances are not everything, as previous actions must be accompanied by an internal sense of responsibility, perseverance, and sincerity in work.