Last week’s Thought for the Week was; “The Acceptance Dilemma” which was about how we receive thanks and compliments and it is not easy for everyone.
You can see all of my previous blogs below.
To many people, Valentine’s Day is perceived as a commercial ploy to get us to part us with our well-earned dosh and can put us under pressure with partners – especially if we don’t share the same opinion about what’s expected!
Whether or not you acknowledge Valentine’s Day, it can be an opportunity for connection and communication (and not all about romance).
When you think about it, so much depends on our expectations doesn’t it!
And this is where so many people come unstuck in their communication.
I mentioned last week that I had a realisation about a compliment being a gift when I was training to be a counsellor years ago … around the same time, I learned about expectations too.
When we meet a new person for the first time, they would know very little about us, let alone about our expectations because that’s so personal.
We know that first impressions are so important and we make up our mind about someone in the first few seconds of meeting them.
So, how much are these first impressions to do with how we expect others to greet us when we first meet them?
For instance; do we expect them to shake our hand? Would we judge them for not shaking our hand?
After the pandemic, we know that people have different views about shaking hands. How do we communicate that?
If we don’t want to shake hands, we have to communicate that in an amiable or even jokey way don’t we! Anyway, that’s just one example of how we communicate our expectations.
When we start a new job or role, we want to know from the outset what’s expected of us don’t we. How can we get started if we aren’t clear?
When another person speaks and behaves in a certain way, we may feel disappointed. But how would they know about our expectations if we haven’t told them?
I don’t know about you; I have had to check in with myself to see what my expectations are of others and keep an open mind. So often, expectations are at the root of misunderstandings.
So that’s food for thought for you today! Just gently notice what your expectations are of others as you go through your day and see how this improves your communication with them.
“When you stop expecting people to be perfect, you can like them for who they are.”
-Donald Miller-
[Author, public speaker, and business owner]
If you’d like to explore this further for your team or yourself, I would like to invite you to book a FREE consultation with me. You can choose your slot HERE
Have a great week and I’ll be in touch again soon with more thoughts and tips.
With best wishes,
Korinne Le Page, Thrive Coaching & Training
P.S. Download this FREE Checklist: “10 Mistakes that Could be Stopping You from Becoming a Really Good Communicator”