THE ROOM FULL OF MEN

"Don't you feel uncomfortable standing right in the middle surrounded by all men in the room?"

Looking at this picture, one of the young team members asked this question. I looked at the picture once again and confessed, "Yes, I used to feel uncomfortable and sometimes I still feel."

"Then how do you manage? You are so confident" Her curiosity raised.?

I thought for a while because, honestly, I also never reflected.?

It is not about confidence, nor about men being evil, but somewhere all we have been programmed since childhood. Men never surrounded me; I went to girls schools, girls colleges and in my family, we three women used to be there. So automatically, I used to become nervous when I used to get surrounded by men.?

Another side is we think men feel confident with women but not all. Many take their time to get comfortable. They also gauge and then starts opening up and during training opening up participants is most crucial for learning.?

After this realisation, I would like to mention the top 5 steps that worked:?

1. Reach before time:?As a trainer, always enter the training hall before participants arrive. It helps to make necessary training arrangements like audio-video or sitting arrangements. During online sessions also immensely helps.?
2. Interact with participants before the session:?Whenever participants enter the training hall, begin interacting with them. Interaction helps to understand them, and rapport building starts immediately. During the exchange, the trainer also gets to know participants expectations, their department and other details.?
3. Acknowledge men's challenges?- Here, it is explicitly mentioned men bcoz its essential to understand their challenges of interacting with the opposite sex. Making them feel comfortable is equally crucial.??
4. Own the room- When the training starts, look at every participant and fule up your confidence by using a power pose. You are a celebrity when you start the session. The men or senior men or men with double of your height, nothing matters. It's you and your knowledge. Take charge.?
5. Dress for Success –?Plan out your dress in advance, considering the industry, company culture and most importantly, your comfort. Your focus should be on participants and not thinking about clothing, and participants should also focus on the trainers' knowledge rather than her dress.?

These simple tips helped me get over my fear. Believe me not a single man misbehaved during training session. Now I am confident. Many applaud at the end for making them comfortable and helping them get over their fear of talking to women. :)??

All the best.?

????????????:?Dr. Aparna Sethi?is the founder of?Protouch Corporate Training?and conducts insightful corporate training sessions /webinars/ guest sessions on the various topics to name a few Emotional Intelligence, Leadership, POSH, Women Leadership, Diversity, and Inclusion in the workplace.

You can reach her on 8800005599