Before you even open your mouth, they already have an idea of who you are, what you think of them, what your agenda is, and what you want from them. Whatever words come out of your mouth will be automatically “fit” into their existing paradigm.
What will my parents think? What will my boss think? What will my friends think? These are the worries that influence our decisions and cause us the most anxiety. The good news is, most of those judgmental thoughts we fear are illusions. They don’t actually exist, except in our heads. Don’t believe me? Consider this.
The first several months of a new job can be incredibly stressful as you work hard to make a good impression and show your new employer that they made a good hiring decision. But sometimes trying too hard can backfire and your efforts end up alienating the very people you are trying to impress. Here is a story of how one manager navigated this tricky terrain.
Businesses need customers, and sometimes this idea creates one-sided relationships that can have you walking on eggshells or exhausted by the end of the day. But you don’t have to settle for challenging customer relationships. Here are a few guidelines that some of my clients have used to shift the energy, especially with their most demanding clients.