Imagine looking at a picture of someone – just a snapshot. You get a glimpse of them with limited context. Have you ever taken a picture of yourself with a goofy look on your face? Would you want that to be the only datapoint for someone to decide who you are and what you are like? I’m sure you would rather they had the practiced selfie or staged picture instead. As humans – and organizations – we often form opinions of others with very limited data – like single images or snapshots. And it doesn’t serve us very well.
Of course, we would love them to form their opinion of us on our best day, with our best behavior. And we often work hard to form those best first impressions. There is nothing wrong with that – it is natural. But think about a first date with someone new vs. the 5th or 10th or 15th date with them. With more information and more experience, your image of that person is not quite the same. A snapshot doesn’t tell the same story that a video or movie would.
Snapshots vs. Movies
Too often, we use snapshots to form opinions. And sometimes, old snapshots have too much influence (good or bad) on the way we view others. This can stretch beyond our personal interactions, impacting how people are perceived for projects, promotions, and more.
We know that movies are better, truer indicators of a person’s true self and potential than snapshots. A longer-term view of behavior and results rather than a quick, frozen moment. So, how can we change our approach?
- Think of individual situations – snapshots – as datapoints, not a full view.
- Ask questions (whether to the person or internally) about that situation. Perhaps the most important question – Does this picture accurately and consistently define this person?
- Look openly for new situations and pictures. Look at their full history, not just one incident, especially if that incident was extremely awesome or extremely awful.
And this isn’t just an individual exercise. You likely know someone whose career catapulted or crashed based on one situation, one decision, or one outcome. In extraordinary circumstances, encourage your team to look beyond that one situation for more data. In other words, look at the movie, not a single snapshot. Forming opinions based on consistent behavior (movies) rather than singular events (snapshots) is fairer, more accurate, and more effective. Movies allow trust and respect to grow, relationships to develop, and careers to blossom.
Snapshots have their benefits, but they are often more misleading than useful. Anyone can prim for the perfect photo or have a bad hair day. Movies give us a better view of who people really are, more accurately revealing their potential and intentions.
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