A dear colleague of mine and I were chit chatting about a certain situation. Mid conversation he said to me, “Dana, paint your own picture to each individual you speak to, do not let them paint their own picture of you. You have made your point and taken that stand.” I stared at him for a moment and his sentence has been stuck in my head ever since we last spoke. That comment was so powerful and true! He gave me a few examples and it all made sense and clicked in my head. It amazes me how 1 sentence can change the situation all around. It makes more sense when people say, “you are not fine?” or “Why aren’t you smiling/Where is that smile?” or “I can never imagine you so mad or angry.”
They say that because it’s true as they never see me in those moods. Instead, they normally see me all joyful/ bubbly/happy/hyper and so on. Being in this role and being exposed to everything and anything, made me consionous to how I react to things in front of my staff, After hearing that 1 sentence I wonder now to myself, when my staff asks how I am or how was my day, can one be honest when answering? And if I do answer honestly, will they think otherwise of me? Will they paint that picture of me?
With that situation and that being said he gave me a piece of advice which he knew I wouldn’t like but I went ahead and listened to him. It might not be that easy but I can try and keep trying. No painted picture will be perfect but it’s definitely worth the try.
Do you agree? Would you want to paint your own picture to that individual you are speaking to or would you rather they paint it for you in their mind?
