The dangerous part is when you start replying to the story in your head. You get colder, they notice, and suddenly you’ve created the problem yourself.
I’ve caught myself doing this more times than I’d like to admit, albeit more so in the past than recently. However, I have been guilty of turning a delayed reply or a slightly short email into an entire story about what the other person must be thinking.
It has been a bit unsettling how quickly I began reacting to that story as though it were true. The lesson for me has been to separate the facts from my assumptions, and consider the boring explanation first.
The dangerous part is when you start replying to the story in your head. You get colder, they notice, and suddenly you’ve created the problem yourself.
My first boss advised me to always assume positive intent. It’s helped me massively over the years, but few people seem to do this.
I’m wondering if building an intentional personal brand could help people better understand and believe the good intentions behind your words.
One thing I've noticed is that ambiguity rarely stays empty. People instinctively fill it with stories.
The less certainty an organisation provides, the more certainty people manufacture for themselves.
That makes clarity more than a communication skill, but something architectural.
I’ve caught myself doing this more times than I’d like to admit, albeit more so in the past than recently. However, I have been guilty of turning a delayed reply or a slightly short email into an entire story about what the other person must be thinking.
It has been a bit unsettling how quickly I began reacting to that story as though it were true. The lesson for me has been to separate the facts from my assumptions, and consider the boring explanation first.