impressions matter

If I came into work each day, wearing a toga and a tiara, would it be difficult to take me seriously? If I wore a business suit, with a painted smile on my face, would I seem warm and inviting? If I came into work, and the back of my shoes were talking while I was walking, would you wonder how I spent my paycheck?

Impressions obviously matter a lot at work. The way we dress, the way we approach one another, and the ease of conversation with co-workers are all impressions that, for better or worse, stick with us as the perception of who people think we are. Grameen Foundation is made up of individuals who strive to make the environment feel like family amongst the co-workers, but also provide an air of corporate formalism. This is a tight balance to walk! Sometimes, because of perceptions based on the impressions, it doesn't turn out ok so well.

Last night, a co-worker had a fellow Grameenie staying with her from out of town. Sometime between midnight and 1am, what sounded like a shot rang out in the apartment. The co-worker did not stir from her bed. The guest looked around for signs of gunfire, and then ultimately assumed that it must have been nothing. The next morning, the co-worker on the way out for her morning jog stepped on a bullet and noticed splinters scattered on the floor in front of her front door. Undeterred from her morning ritual, she went on her run. Upon her return, she asked the guest why there was a bullet sitting on her floor.
...

Later at work, the co-worker received an email from a person in the legal department saying that the co-worker should not have had a fellow Grameenie staying at her house. The email denoted that this was against company policy and could truly be a liability for Grameen. My co-worker fretted for 3 hours over this email; wondering how she could have avoided this entire situation. At long last, the legal person came to her office and explained that the email had been a joke! That there were no policies that she had broken, and that the email was intended to just be a practical joke... April Fool's was yesterday afterall. To me, this was yet a demonstration of why it's important to understand if both a professional and personal relationship exists between two parties. These 2 women clearly had a great working, professional relationship -- but had not forged a personal relationship strong enough that a practical joke could easily be spotted.

In my own life, I tend to have a rather dry humor, and notice that it is difficult for people to "get me" sometimes. The result is that I attempt to get to know the person a little better, invite her/him to social events, and build that personal relationship so we can cultivate a level of understanding between one another. Ultimately, if where I work ends up being a place of employment that I measure in terms of decades instead of years, it is likely that many of the people roaming the halls today, will continue to be my friends in the future. All the more reason to make friends while we're all still young!