I Was Wrong About Susan
Yep, I’m man enough to admit it- I was wrong! Confident I pegged her correctly; I knew she and I would NOT get along well. She’s so analytical, so focused and business-like. I’m a long time survivor of ADD who is successful because I have always done things MY WAY to get from point A to point B sometimes making a mess along the way. There was no fricken’ way we would find enough common ground to work together on a volunteer project.
One of the likes I appreciate about ME is my ability to assess people quickly, categorize them to my satisfaction and move on. I’m fair, tilted towards kindness in others and often correct.
Looks like I can get WAY better!
After sitting down and having a glass of wine with Susan I discovered a passionate, intelligent women whose basic views about life paralleled mine!
Who’d a thunk?!
I pegged her wrong. I made up my mind without ever sitting down and chatting with her. It took me three years to do so.
Lesson learned: We’re (I’m) good at initially sensing if we “click” with someone, if we vibrate well together. But, we’re (I’m) not as good as we (I) think. So, sit down and have a glass of wine, some coffee or lunch and then you’ll have a much better idea if the person you think is not “your type” is in fact a much better “fit” than you realized.
I was wrong about Susan. Today, we are friends. I got lucky!
Continue the Leadership Conversation
The ideas in this article are part of a broader conversation about leadership, employee retention, workplace AI, and organizational change. Scott helps organizations across healthcare, government, manufacturing, financial services, technology, human resources, safety, early childhood education, and professional associations develop stronger leaders and build more engaged workplaces.
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