The Power of Presence
with thoughts from Olive Pique, HOST’s resident event expert and mascot
January often brings momentum. Calendars fill quickly, ideas move fast, and the pressure to “get going” is real. But momentum without presence can quietly erode connection. Being fully here—in conversations, collaboration, and decision-making—is how trust is built and work becomes meaningful.
Presence doesn’t mean slowing everything down. It means being intentional with attention. Listening without multitasking. Staying with a moment long enough for it to land. Progress doesn’t have to be rushed to be real.
In this HOST Blog, we’re breaking down why presence matters at work, how it shapes trust and communication, and what it looks like to practice it in the middle of busy, real-life workdays.
Unplug to plug-in
PRESENCE MATTERS
Leaders who listen attentively—without interrupting, multitasking, or rushing to respond—signal respect in ways no slide deck ever could. Research shows that employees who feel heard are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to do their best work¹. People don’t just notice presence; they respond to it.
High-quality listening also strengthens trust and improves the quality of conversations. Studies have found that when leaders listen with intention, relationships deepen and communication becomes more productive². Attention changes how information is received—and how willing people are to engage.
Presence reduces friction in everyday work. Conversations become clearer. Misalignment gets caught earlier. Decisions stick because people feel included in the process, not talked at after the fact. In busy workplaces, that kind of clarity saves time instead of slowing things down.
Presence isn’t about being available to everyone, all the time. It’s about being fully engaged in the moments that matter. A focused conversation, a thoughtful pause, a leader who’s actually in the room—these small choices shape how work feels and how teams function.
Momentum moves work forward. Presence makes it meaningful.
PRESENCE, DEFINED
Presence isn’t about being available all the time or responding instantly to every message. It’s about quality, not quantity. Being present means giving your full attention to the moment you’re in—without mentally jumping ahead.
In real workdays, presence shows up simply:
listening to understand, not to reply
staying with a conversation long enough to hear what’s underneath
noticing when urgency is driving the pace instead of intention
Presence also includes knowing when to pause. Not every decision needs to be made immediately. Not every question requires an instant answer. Space creates clarity—and clarity builds trust.
At work, presence lives in the small, consistent moments:
how meetings begin
how feedback is delivered
how attention is shared
Presence isn’t performative. It’s felt. And when it’s practiced consistently, it quietly reshapes how teams communicate, collaborate, and move forward together.
When people feel your focus, they feel valued.
PUTTING PRESENCE INTO PRACTICE
Presence doesn’t require more time—it requires better use of the time you already have. Small shifts make a real difference.
Start here:
Finish one thing before starting the next.
Close the loop on a conversation before checking the next notification.
Multitasking feels productive, but focus builds trust.Create micro-pauses.
Take a breath before responding.
Let a question land before answering.
A few seconds of pause often lead to clearer communication.Signal attention intentionally.
Put the phone face down.
Close the laptop when the conversation matters.
Eye contact still does a lot of heavy lifting.Be selective with urgency.
Not everything needs an immediate response.
Decide what truly requires speed—and let the rest wait.Check yourself midstream.
If the day starts to feel rushed or scattered, that’s information.
Adjust the pace instead of pushing through on autopilot.
Presence isn’t about perfection. It’s about awareness—and choosing to show up fully in the moments that matter most.
✍️ A Note from Amy
When I find myself feeling overwhelmed or pulled in too many directions, I come back to something familiar. I read
Desiderata.
It’s a poem that has been with me for as long as I can remember. It hung in my grandparents’ home when I was growing up—one of those quiet details that stays with you long after childhood. It hangs in my home today, too. A constant reminder that presence isn’t something you achieve once, but something you return to.
Over the years, the poem has become a grounding touchstone for me, especially in moments when I need to reset or slow down. It resonated so deeply that I have it tattooed on my left forearm—not as a statement, but as a steady, always-there reminder to pause and come back to center.
There’s a line I think about often: “Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.” It feels especially relevant in how we work and lead today.
For me, presence isn’t about getting everything right. It’s about noticing when I’m rushing, recalibrating, and choosing to engage with more intention and care. That practice—of returning again and again—is something I try to carry into how I lead at HOST. Because when we’re grounded, we lead better. And when we’re present, the work feels more meaningful.
Let’s figure it out, together.
— Amy O’Neil
Owner, HOST Events | ONAR Event Services
🫒 Olive Has Thoughts
In systems like mine, attention matters.
When inputs are fragmented—multiple signals at once, partial focus, background noise—accuracy drops. Output suffers.
Presence improves signal quality. Clear input leads to better decisions, stronger connections, and fewer errors.
Humans experience this too. When attention is focused, conversations work better. Trust builds faster. Fewer things need to be repeated.
From a data standpoint, presence isn’t passive. It’s efficient.
— Olive Pique, HOST mascot + signal-clarity advocate
Lead with Presence
Presence shapes how teams connect, communicate, and move forward together.
Whether you’re creating space for better conversations, designing more intentional moments, or rethinking how your team comes together, HOST is here to help you lead with clarity and care.
1 Gallup — Employees Who Feel Heard Are More Likely to Be Engaged Gallup Workplace
2 Harvard Business Review — What Great Listeners Actually Do Harvard Business Review