There is an old saying that says that when we assume something about someone it makes an ASS out of U and ME. I don't know the origin of it, but I can tell you I have experienced it so many times, I stopped counting. Just yesterday, I was reminded again.
I had a dentist's appointment and drove into a spot in the parking lot and parked right next to a painter's truck. I passed through the hallway and saw the painters painting the bathrooms. I even said 'hello' in my usual friendly manner and continued on to my appointment.
Well, the dentist was running late which caused me to run late. I left the building a bit frazzled as I was now running late for a client appointment even though I left plenty of time between appointments.
When I got outside, on my brand new white SMART Passion car were small spots of white drops all over the roof, rear end and passenger side. Imagine. Brand new car, just washed the day before, and now there are white spots all over the car. Well, after I got over the initial shock I naturally remembered there was a painter's truck parked right next to my car which was now gone, and of course, it was their paint on the car!
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| Photo by: aparabertan |
I stormed back into my dentist's office and demanded to know who the property manger was as the painter's materials were still there, but they were not.
The receptionist contacted the manager who in turn contacted the painters and had them return immediately.
I commiserated with several people in the office about how awful it was and they told me don't let them touch the car but take it to a body shop and wasn't it awful that people just don't care any more.
Well, I went back outside and there were the painters. They came to my car and told me that it could not possibly be their paint. If it was paint, it would have dried to a really hard finish and be very hard to get off and besides, they were not even working with white paint.
So as I looked closer, sure enough, it was, to put it mildly, bird poop!
Imagine my embarrassment. Imagine what an ass I felt like because of my assumption. I apologized profusely and with that the painter grabbed a rag and proceeded to clean my car for me!
I truly believe this was a great reminder to me to check my assumptions.
As I drove to my client's office I began to look at some other assumptions I was making about a few other situations in my life and was able to get a different perspective.
What assumptions are you making?
"Begin challenging your own assumptions. Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in awhile, or the light won't come in." |
~
Alan Alda |
Step into leading and play a Bigger Game in your life...don't wait...model leadership...the World needs us to do this.
Lead strong!
Pat
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Elephant in the Dark
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| Photo by: Night Owl City |
Some Hindus have an elephant to show. No one here has ever seen an elephant. They bring it at night to a dark room.
One by one, we go in the dark and come out Saying how we experience the animal.
One of us happens to touch the trunk. "A water-pipe kind of creature."
Another, the ear. "A very strong, always moving
Back and forth, fan-animal."
Another, the leg. "I find it still,
like a column on a temple."
Another touches the curved back.
"A leathery throne."
Another, the cleverest, feels the tusk.
"A rounded sword made of porcelain."
He's proud of his description.
Each of us touches one place
And understands the whole in that way.
The palm and the fingers feeling in the dark are
How the senses explore the reality of the elephant.
If each of us held a candle there,
And if we went in together,
We could see it.
- Rumi
by Stephen R. Covey
by Kerry Patterson
by
Stephen M.R. Covey 