How to Gain Positive Attention

How to Gain Positive Attention

Hi there, friends,

Positive attention at work can be hard to come by. We all want to be seen and valued, of course. When you’ve got wall-to-wall inboxes, Zoom’n’Teams windows or busy calendars, the question is: how do you stand out for the right reasons?

Not by being ‘perfect’, that’s for sure. Being a slightly flawed human makes you more likeable than if you did everything right.

Gaining positive attention - not the flashy kind, but the kind that builds trust, respect and influence - is about showing up distinctly in ways that feel authentic, helpful, and memorable. It’s being the person whose presence makes the room steadier, whose suggestion sparks clarity, whose calmness invites confidence.

Simon Sinek says that to love your job is a ‘God-given right’. “We should feel safe to express our vulnerabilities and our fears and concerns”. Amen to that.

Improv helps. You think faster. You become more relaxed and more witty. You look after other people; make them look good; ‘Yes, And’ their offers. Try it.

How to Gain Positive Attention

Knowing yourself is as important as knowing your audience.

TRY IT OUT!:

Key Phrases! Yup, improv is all about positive attention. It’s the bedrock of every interaction. Yes, And, Active Listening and Making the Other Person Look Good are key. In your next meeting, try this:

1. After someone speaks, take a couple of seconds of silence.

2. 2. Then say ONE of these three phrases: “Just to build on that…” or “I heard that as meaning…” or “What I think you said…” and offer a single sentence clarifier.

3. Then wait for them to reply. That small “interruption” recalibrates attention. It signals you’re listening, thinking, and willing to enrich the space—not dominate it.

“Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to” Richard Branson, Virgin Group founder

Something transformative…

In one of our corporate improv workshops role-plays last year, a junior team member volunteered to unpack a messy conflict. She didn’t do it perfectly. It was a bit awkward and she tripped over her words.

But she leaned in, clarified what felt unfair and we all worked out a better scenario. The improv set-up meant she could treat it lightly; we allowed for laughter; people supported each other as they explored options.

We heard afterwards that, post-workshop, her manager had asked her to take the lead on team norms. She’d gained attention by trying to make others look good and by uplifting the group. Classic improv.

Something watched…

Watching the The King’s Speech the other day, there’s that beautiful scene where Lionel Logue, the speech therapist, gently interrupts King George VI during a rehearsal. He fixes the King’s stutter mid-sentence by grounding him in breath and presence.

Logue didn’t shout or change the energy. He paid (positive) attention and leaned into the moment. That type of steady, professional torch beam is what turns noise into signal. No ego, just attention to detail and a desire to improve the situation.“

Something public…

They say that you must praise in public and chastise in private. Whenever there’s a public shaming, the whole room changes. The atmos curdles and trust evaporates. The ‘Yes, And’ gets sucked out of the space. It’s hard to claw it back.

Negative attention can silence innovation, erode morale and change dynamics forever. We’ve seen it happen when enthusiastic leaders overflex.

Next time you want to call something out, ask yourself: is this the right setting? Am I making the other person look good (in front of others)? If not, it’s probably a conversation for a 121.

All the best,

Vic and Paul

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