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9780312600327

Poised for Success Mastering the Four Qualities That Distinguish Outstanding Professionals

by
  • ISBN13:

    9780312600327

  • ISBN10:

    0312600321

  • Format: Hardcover
  • Copyright: 2011-11-08
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Press

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Summary

Secrets to mastering the details that will get you noticed and get you ahead at work, from etiquette expert and author ofBUSINESS CLASS , Jacqueline Whitmore. In the past, the business world favored the aggressive "Type A" personality. But being courteous and thoughtful has proven to be a more effective way to win clients and influence others. In these unsettled times, we're all trying to get back to basics and your competitive advantage depends on your ability to use your emotional intelligence and social graces to take your career to the next level. Of course, good business etiquette is important, as Whitmore taught readers in Business Class. But, she also knows that there is more to becoming invaluable at work than simply mastering good behavior. In order to be poised for success, you must cultivate what Jacqueline calls the four "P" qualities: Polish, Presence, Professionalism, and Passion. Whitmore has discovered, over her 20 year career as a lifestyle and etiquette expert, that when people acquire these skills, they become more self-aware, more confident and comfortable in their own skin, and better able to communicate with others in a credible, authentic manner.

Author Biography

JACQUELINE WHITMORE is an internationally recognized etiquette expert and the founder of The Protocol School of Palm Beach. Her extensive client base includes the U.S. Department of Defense, Booz Allen Hamilton, Office Depot, The Hartford Financial Services Group, Deloitte, Merrill Lynch, Ernst & Young, Bloomingdale's, Sprint, and Burger King Corporation, among others.

Jacqueline is a popular guest on radio and television and her etiquette advice has appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Real Simple, Fortune, and O: The Oprah Magazine. Jacqueline and her husband, Brian Gleason, live in Florida.

Table of Contents

Praise for POISED FOR SUCCESS

“In Poised for Success, Jacqueline Whitmore explores the what, why, and how of being ready for and attaining success in practical and inspiring terms.  It’s a must-read for all those looking to get ahead!” --Marshall Goldsmith, author of the New York Times bestsellers, MOJO and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

“Jacqueline Whitmore’s book is not only informative (do you know what bespoke suits, cuillères, or barrel cuffs are?) it is heartfelt and entertaining.  Jacqueline presents important concepts in a pragmatic and gracious way (read chapter 8), and balances it all with a tone that makes you want to meet for coffee." --Terri Morrison, coauthor of Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands: the Bestselling Guide to Doing Business in More Than Sixty Countries

"The #1 must-read book for anyone seeking the easy path to success and emotional prosperity.  Poised for Success is exploding with so many powerful takeaways that my highlighter ran out of ink! Jacqueline Whitmore is the business world's best-kept secret!" --Janine Driver, author of The New York Times bestseller, You Say More Than You Think: A 7-Day Plan For Using the New Body Language to Get What You Want

“Trust this book, live this book, treasure this book.” --P.M. Forni, professor, Johns Hopkins University and author of the bestselling book Choosing Civility

“Why read Jacqueline Whitmore’s Poised for Success? Because you want to do the very most and the very best with the time and the life you have. Because we all need direction and inspiration to achieve that. And because in these pages – in plain but powerful language – is the way to get there.  Read it and see change.  Read it and be changed.” --Simon T. Bailey, brillionaire and author of Release Your Brilliance

“Jacqueline Whitmore’s wisdom is simple, straightforward, and incredibly effective.  Poised for Success will change your attitude and outlook on doing business with others while helping you become more successful.  Relevant, inspiring, wise, and practical — this is truly a MUST read!" --Andrea R. Nierenberg, coauthor of Networking for the College Students (and Recent Graduates)

"For those of us fashion clods who need help getting ready for prime time, there is the amazing Jacqueline Whitmore.  Poised for Success is a style makeover from the outside in." --Fawn Germer, global leadership speaker and bestselling author of Hard Won Wisdom and Mustang Sallies

“Read Poised for Success to discover exactly what poise is and how you can develop it. With this understanding you’re able to present your best, connect from the heart, achieve high-touch in a world of high-tech, strengthen your business relationships, and achieve your greatest success.” --Larina Kase, PsyD, MBA, author of Clients, Clients and More Clients, and coauthor of The New York Times bestseller The Confident Speaker

“Jacqueline Whitmore’s Poised for Success helps business people be their best at work and in their personal lives.  The insights and practical advice she brings to our modern day manner dilemmas are priceless.” --Karen Leland, bestselling author of Public Speaking in an Instant: 60 Ways to Stand Up and Be Heard

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What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

Excerpts

CHAPTER 1
Poise Is Presence Personified
 
 
GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU HAVE, AND THE BEST WILL COME BACK TO YOU.
— ELLA WHEELER WILCOX, AUTHOR AND POET
Whenever you have an unusual job, particularly if you’re a circus clown, crematory operator, snake charmer, or etiquette expert, people make assumptions about your personality and background. In my case, Iaman etiquette expert, and many people I meet today assume that I grew up enjoying a privileged lifestyle. But nothing could be further from the truth.
I was born the fourth of five children in the small town of Haines City, located in Central Florida. My mom, Elsie, left my abusive, alcoholic father (her third husband) when I was just five years old. Unable to support all of us on her own, Mom had to make the heartbreaking choice of sending my three older siblings to live with their father. My mother, my younger brother, and I moved in with my Granny Johnson until Mom could afford a down payment on a government-subsidized house she found in a quaint middle-class neighborhood.
Growing up, I didn’t attend fancy tea parties, cotillions, or private schools. Life was more than modest; my clothes came from discount stores or I dressed in my cousin’s hand-me-downs. The special activities many of my friends enjoyed, including dance classes, piano lessons, and summer vacations, were simply out of the question. I was raised Southern Baptist and spent most of my childhood in church, where I learned to sing and play handbells.
Because my dad was a World War II disabled veteran, I was fortunate to attend college thanks to the educational funding I received from the Veterans Benefits Administration. I majored in broadcasting at the University of Florida with the intent to become a TV reporter. But my career aspirations quickly fizzled when I took an internship with CNN in Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, I loathed every minute of it and realized that I wasn’t cut out for the cutthroat radio and TV industry.
After graduation, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up, so I explored a variety of unique and diverse occupations. I was a sales associate for ladies’ clothes at an upscale department store, a singer, dancer, and actor at SeaWorld of Florida, an administrative assistant and special events coordinator at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort, and a flight attendant with Northwest Airlines.
I found happiness in every job I had and I never imagined that life could get even better … until I landed my dream job in 1993. That’s when I had the good fortune to be hired as the assistant director of public relations for one of the most luxurious and exclusive hotels in the world — The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the hotel has played host to generations of the rich and famous. My job at the prestigious and palatial Breakers Hotel was a portal into a glamorous, glittery, and elegant world. It was also my finishing school. Who knew that one day this small-town girl would dine and dance at some of the most opulent charity galas in the world or rub elbows with people she read about in magazines and newspapers? As time went on, I eventually took part in The Breakers Annual Executive Etiquette Camp and then went on to take a more extensive business etiquette certification course in Washington, D.C. As a result, I was named the hotel’s first protocol officer, which afforded me the opportunity to mix and mingle with some of the world’s most interesting and influential people who came to Palm Beach.
WHAT PRESENCE IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines presence as “a noteworthy quality of poise and effectiveness.” Poise is all about balance — the way you hold yourself and how you move through the world. It’s about paying attention to the details of you, which means accepting, embracing, and taking full advantage of all you have to work with. It’s your desire to improve, without the fear of embarrassment or intimidation.
The Palm Beach lifestyle could have easily intimidated me, but my sheer desire to be a part of this exciting world helped me quell any hesitation or discomfort I felt. I learned to cultivate my presence and adapt and assimilate into my surroundings just as a chameleon blends in with its environment. I loved working at The Breakers, but like all good things, my tenure there eventually came to an end.
My mother often said, “A person’s life can change in an instant with just one phone call or trip to the mailbox,” and she was correct. On a hot, sticky afternoon in August 1998, I unsuspectingly received a phone call that changed my life. My boss called me and in a curt voice he instructed me to report to his office immediately. When I hung up the phone, I broke out into a cold sweat — the kind you get right before someone tells you some really bad news. When I entered my boss’s office, my heart sank when I saw the director of human resources sitting next to him. My suspicions were immediately confirmed — my job position was about to be eliminated.
I sat there, calm and composed, but on the inside I felt rage and disappointment. My husband and I had only been married two months; we had a mortgage, car payments, wedding bills, and other financial obligations. But rather than focus on the “failure” aspects of this experience, I decided to stay poised and face my adversity with grace. A month later, I decided to take the plunge and start my own business — The Protocol School of Palm Beach, a company that’s still going strong today.
Whenever you can stay centered and embrace your own poise during tough times, you tap into your most precious inner resources — insight, strength, and depth of character. Presence has its own power source. When you’re composed, sufficiently practiced, and self-assured, when you feel strong enough to move mental mountains, you are poised for success.
Most of the greatest achievers in the world, from entrepreneurs to athletes and artists, could not have achieved their levels of success without experiencing some adversity. For example, swimmer and Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps has athletic poise and presence. During competitions, he has the ability to develop and maintain a particular state of physical and psychological readiness, both of which he can summon on demand.
Whether you’re an athlete, astronaut, business owner, or employee, presence is a prerequisite to peak performance. Some people consider presence an innate gift or inborn talent, such as the ability to carry a tune or draw a picture, but anyone can cultivate this quality. It’s simply the ability to develop an internal sense of serenity or centeredness, a state of mind that brings enormous peace and inner strength. It’s the ability to put yourself in a state of mind where calmness and power intertwine (think extreme self-confidence), allowing you to stand out, perform at your peak, and outshine the competition!
Presence isn’t something you put on in the morning and take off in the evening; it’s a part of your essence. Once it’s internalized, it emanates from within, replacing self-doubt and anxiety with self-empowerment. Others are drawn to you because you exude a “humble” self-confidence and optimism. It’s evident that you have something special to offer. In this book I explain how to achieve that “special something.”
Professionals who possess presence are confident without arrogance, composed without stiffness, and kind without pretension, to friends and strangers alike. They are able to express their graciousness with everyone they meet, from corporate leaders to custodians.
When you cultivate your own presence you draw admiration from others. Not only will people want to develop friendships with you; they also will want to socialize with you, do business with you, and, in some instances, maybe even date and marry you. (Don’t laugh … it happened to me.)


 
Copyright © 2011 by Jacqueline Whitmore. Foreword copyright © 2011 by Victoria Moran

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