What is your first impression story?
Maybe the story is about an experience a good one or a bad one which involved you. Potentially the first impression story is one which you heard from someone else. Feel free to share the story in the comments area for this article. Then come right back here to continue.
Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
You only have one first chance to make one first impression that lasts a lifetime.
…that lasts a lifetime. Wow! The person may not have uttered a single word. You know nothing about the person other than how they are dressed, how they carry themselves and you are ready to judge them with this information for the rest of their life?
A good first impression can work wonders. – J.K. Rowling
This may be true, however, another well known person feels that a great first impression is typically given by a really good liar. When you first meet someone, if it is a job interview you are conducting, or on a social occasion, do you weight the first impression heavily or are you more open to size up the person after getting to know them better through conversation?
One never gets a chance to make a first impression.
But remember that the first impression is not the last chance to make a good impression.
There was a relatively new employee at a company who totally screwed up their first big assignment. People wanted a head on a platter. One of the most Senior people took another stance. “Although this error is a costly one, we now know one thing for certain, this employee will never make this mistake again. We must recognize this is our investment in the business. By acting to fire the employee we will essentially burn through the money and then spend the time, effort and more money to recruit, interview, train and then hope this next one will not make an error like this one.”
We don’t know where our first impressions come from or precisely what they mean, so we don’t always appreciate their fragility. – Malcolm Gladwell
My view is we all come from different backgrounds.
How we were raised, what schools we went to, what values we hold ourselves to and what people have influenced each of us. These are in essence the foundation of how we form our first impressions. It is why three people who meet the same person for the first time within a brief period of time may very likely have three different responses as to their first impression.
Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent. – Dalai Lama
Is this statement true any longer with the advent of the internet and the current utilization of social media platforms?
Shhhh. Let me sit over here and think about it.
Mitch Tublin is the CEO and Founder of Wenkroy International LLC a boutique consulting company with a main focus on Strategic Business Consulting, Training and Business Coaching. Our passion is to take people to the next level in their life and in their business. Are you interested in having Mitch speak at your company or event – click here?
