Whether you realize it or not…You are ALWAYS in 1st Impression Mode
When I am out there working with people on leadership and interacting with people, one of the first questions I will ask is “When does first impression mode end”?
The answers will vary and most of the answers will be time related ranging anywhere from 8 seconds to several minutes. As I develop the question with those present they begin to better understand and then suddenly the light goes on and the reply becomes “We are always in first impression mode”! To which I reply…Exactly!
When taking into account the title of John’s Book, “Everyone Communicates. Few Connect”, we are communicating on a constant basis. By that, I mean that while we are in the process of connecting with those in our immediate area, we are communicating with those on our peripheries. We are not always aware of this and this is something that as a leader you need to become more aware of. But while I stress that you need to become more aware of it, if you have taken the necessary steps, you should not have to worry about it. To elaborate a bit further as to what I mean, I always do a bit of extra thinking and preparing before I leave the house. The question I ask myself is that If I were arrested for being a John Maxwell Teacher, Trainer and Coach (or whatever field you are in) would there be enough evidence to convict me. To that end, I try to ensure that I am dressed accordingly. Sometimes that requires full dress and at others it can be smart casual. The rule of thumb is that you can always dress down from a dress up but you can never dress up from a dress down. All too often, I observe the dress of those around me as I am more conscious of this today. Whether we choose to accept it or not, once we put ourselves out there for business, politics, whatever, we are observed more than we think we are.
So in closing, and a Call to Action for you today is to realize that the choice of what you do and how you do it is totally up to you. It is not just about communicating but it is more about connecting. So get on in there with a firm handshake, a friendly hello and a repeat of the person’s name you are meeting and remember that other’s are observing what you do and how you do it.
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