“Showing up is 80 percent of life.”
This saying is often misquoted and most often attributed to Woody Allen. Honestly, it doesn’t matter who said it first. What matters is doing it.
Show up.
Show up ready to do your work, whatever that work may be. Show up appropriately dressed. There are different “uniforms” for different jobs and professions. We dress more casually than was expected in the past, but I think it’s still a good rule to dress up and present yourself as you aspire to be.
Don’t wear rundown shoes, or if you have to, polish them. Style your hair. Don’t overdo the jewelry or makeup.
Be present.
Being present isn’t as easy as it sounds. We mull over what we should have said at the meeting we just attended. We think about what we need to pick up at the grocery store after work.
Sometimes we are not present for our colleagues or our donors. The fundraising profession is dominated by women who are often responsible for childcare, elderly parents, and advancing their own careers. At times it’s difficult to be present, but we must pay attention to where we are, who we are with, and what we are doing. Otherwise, we are ineffective.
And it shows.
Whether you’re in the office, at school or at a family dinner, show up and be present.
And set a good example. As a manager, director, or team member, I’ve always felt it was important to present myself well. I learned this lesson from my parents, who made sure my siblings and I were “presentable” when we left the house.
Setting a good example means not only presenting myself professionally. It means doing my job. It means avoiding office politics and gossip. It means supporting my colleagues. When I was a manager it also meant helping my staff achieve their professional and personal goals.