Lately, I’ve been reflecting on…perceptions. My perceptions of the world, of others, and of myself.
The world - ugh, maybe that’s too far out there, our society, or maybe better said, our social connections at work and in our personal lives are undergoing in most cases severe stress and uncertainty with the outbreak of the Corona Virus.
Friends are losing their jobs. Most are working at home for undetermined amounts of time. Our social lives all put on-hold. Malls are closed, and - Costco, dare I say is sold-out of almost everything. I mean the day we’d have a toilet paper shortage??!! who would have thought this would ever be something I’d type…all of the behaviors of our neighbors (stocking up on 300 pounds of rice?!) are creating unnecessary panic across the supply chain, and within each other!
I think we’re all a little bit on-edge (ok I’m ALOT on edge with this and other things in my life right now), but have you ever found yourself grappling with:
A text message from a good friend that puts themselves before you? Or one that asks so many questions you just don’t want to answer?
An email from a coworker that’s too direct for your liking?
A phone call that’s far too short and to the point? And for you, it’s the wrong point, at the wrong time?
Your boss swinging past your desk and jumps to the chase and forgets to even say hi?
And all these tiny life components, coupled with our current surroundings is creating a communication nightmare in each of us. And it’s exhausting.
If you’re like me, maybe this will work for you…lately, I’ve taken an approach of assuming positive intent when interacting with others - especially when the message isn’t delivered perfectly to your liking. It’s far easier said than done in practice, trust me.
But give it a shot. This isn’t to say the “other person” is right, or it’s “their way or the highway” mentality - but seeking to understand their perspective will make us all more productive in the end!
OK - so we all know what happens when you “Assume” things. But hang in there with me for a minute.
In trying times and especially when we really don’t understand what each of us has going on in our lives…let’s take a step back and take the high road for a few weeks and seek to understand and see what happens…it might just make us happier!