Finding your most powerful voice
an interview with Cathy Salit
In a business world that can seem like a sea of voices, how can you keep yours from being drowned out? Cathy Salit says performing is the key. Her company, Performance of a Lifetime, teaches the techniques of performance and improvisation at companies like Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase, and has even worked with members of the U.S. Olympic team. She shares some of her secrets.
Shakespeare said: "All the world's a stage." I take it you agree?
Yes, I think women know this intuitively. But we get in trouble because most women create a "business persona" by editing — deleting our emotions, our creativity, our smarts. We allow less of ourselves to come through.
What's a woman to do?
Take seriously your job as a performer — to actively and authentically create your character. You do that by adding to your repertoire, showing more of who you are, and making conscious choices about how to perform every moment of a conversation or meeting.