Although this may seem a little off topic, not centered on management, marketing or business concepts it does centre on the most important aspect of nearly all my posts and that is the importance of people.
How often do we go around unaware of those in our close vicinity? Are we oblivious to how we affect others and how they affect us?
Just another day in the office or was it?
I work in an office building with another 300-400 people, more or less. In the entrance to our installations there is a security / reception area where guests must check-in etc. In the hall there are several company merchandising items, such as over-sized home user security products box.
The other day the security guard, who is some time working the post, stopped me to ask me a question. I could sense that it was something that was niggling him for a while as he had that “not sure how to phrase this question” look.
The question that triggered my thoughts
So he asked if the over sized boxes contained a security product for some type of mega-computer? I explained that they were used only for advertising, they had no practical application, they were simply to catch ones eye.
Simple question simple answer right? However, I thought about it. Those boxes have been there maybe years, updated from time to time obviously and the security guard is there for sometime as well. So that probably meant that the security guard had been rolling over the question for some time. And finally, there are 400 people in the building, however he choose me to ask the question.
How we affect others and how they can, if we let them, affect us
As I have twitted and mentioned many times I think the keys to life are people and our relationships. Life is at best regular but what makes it special is the ability to share it with others. Think about your greatest achievement, what does that mean to you if you could not share it with family, friends, and peers?
My interpretation of this simple encounter is that due to my interaction with the security guard I had obviously created enough rapport so he would feel comfortable to ask me the question, I must have come off as been approachable. To be honest it made me feel quite honored to think that he had chosen me out of all the people that work in the office.
That mans’ interaction with me gave me an insight into how I am perceived from the outside and that I must be doing something right in my day to day dealings with others.
The conclusion I drew from this encounter was that the way we deal with others in out most normal everyday dealings does not go by without notice. In an excellent post by Eric Ronning, he talked emotively on the circle of life and specifically on how his grandfather affected others during his life. It made me think that life is a series of day to day encounters and that I best make the most of them and also be alert to the feedback others offer (direct or indirect).
Are you alert to how you affect others? What do you look out for?
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