How to fix a bad first impression?
We have all been there. We meet someone new and right away realize that we have made a bad First Impression. One silly joke. Arriving late. A stain on your jacket. The problem is that First Impressions last, be they good or bad. But you can nudge them.
Bad First Impressions are dangerous because we get a bad reputation on top of the one bad situation. Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanics of nudging.
Nudging can be applied to psychology and First Impressions. What it means is that we cannot erase the bad First Impression from memories, but we can nudge it to be remembered as something neutral or even positive.
A practical example involves a friend I have who is very short, so short that this is the first thing people notice when meeting him and most certainly the most memorable fact about him. He is a motivational speaker, and being short would normally mean that it would lessen our view of him. The way he works out this situation is that he makes sure that his height is the first topic he brings up.
―Hey, you expected me to be taller, right? He admits the facts and moves on to making jokes about his height. He does not apologize for his height, as no one in his situation should do, but instead acknowledges the fact and makes people comfortable with it. This is nudging in practice.
Question: How does one fix a bad First Impression?
The steps are as follows:
- Immediately accept what has happened.
- Apologize if the situation requires it.
- Make people comfortable about it. Humor usually works.
- Do not justify. Only clarify.
- Make amendments until the perception changes.
“You cannot erase the bad First Impressions, but you can nudge them to become positive.” -Max Noble
Final Note. Learn to apologize immediately, ease the situation for others, and work on amending the situation until people have forgiven you and moved on. It might take time, but it is the only way you can gain their trust.
For more inspiration have a look of my book: First Impressions
Academic research | Environmental consultant | Geospatial analyst | EIA specialist| Technical writing | Ex-Vedanta
6 年Done this a few times, sir. We all make mistakes, don't we?
Faculty Advisor at League For Global Development
6 年Thanks for sharing
Operations Manager - Department of Pharmacy Administration
6 年Love how we can change the perception of a bad impression Max!