Getting out of bed and going through your “get ready for work” routine is probably ritualistic. And as we look in the mirror, we probably don’t realize the power we give our own reflection. 

We look; the mirror reflects back, and because the reflection doesn’t line up with our standards for public consumption, we make adjustments. Hair, make up, clothes - it doesn’t matter. We consider what the reflection is telling us and we start changing things. And we don’t stop until we’re satisfied with what we see.

Ask people to NOT pay attention to what their reflection is telling them each morning and see what kind of response you get.

Why is it so many people fail to consider their workplace reflections?

Imagine the following:

Jane has a running feud with another team member. She doesn’t like that they’re feuding, but she can’t seem to bring it to a close.

It’s a good bet Jane is not considering the reflection of how she acts around her coworker if no one has shown her the value of doing so.  

In the same way that hurrying past a mirror each morning means she’ll miss some key appearance details, rushing the job of considering how she interacts with her coworker will be equally ineffective. She’ll receive huge benefits from taking time to sit in front of her internal mirror.

Words Mean Things - Be Specific

You probably hear most people referring to this activity simply as “reflecting,” but only because it’s easier to say. The actions really need to be considering our reflection, and then making appropriate adjustments — just like in front of the morning mirror.

The mirror reflects.
We consider what we see and make appropriate changes.

The main obstacle to doing this is we don’t place enough importance on making adjustments to how we are on the inside. 

Can you imagine blowing past the mirror each morning? Of course not. We don’t want people to see us when we’re not looking our best.

So why not schedule an equal amount of time considering what your internal reflections are telling you?  If it’s important to look your best, it’s equally important to make internal adjustments so you can be your best.

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Filed in Leadership, Selling, Team Building, Workplace, Corporate Culture