Creating the first impression

When two people meet, the initial few minutes are very important. These two or three minutes set the pace of the entire meeting. As both the parties tend to form an opinion about the other one during this period, it's very crucial to have it right. If i am allowed to use cliche, one must try to make a very positive first impression because one never gets a second chance to do the same.

So, what can be done to initiate a successful meeting? Can there be some golden principles for the same? Let me share a simple observation with you all today through this post. My eight year old son, who never gets tired claiming to be my best friend, refreshed this lesson to me yesterday.

I normally get back to my home by nine o'clock. As i am a family man and i know that a successful family life is a precondition for your professional success too, we have some traditions amongst us. One unwritten rule is that everyone of us can express one expectation in a day and others must try to fulfil it, if it's not utterly impossible or undesirable. And as must be the case in many Indian families, i am sure, the man returning from the work place is mostly at the receiving end of these expectations.

So, when i returned home last evening by a quarter past nine, my eight year old son, Astitva, came out running and shouting happily. He greeted me and announced, "Chalo! Sab ready ho jao. Mere partner ke liye paani lao aur ab hum sab khana khayenge!" At the same time, my daughter, thirteen, came out in a very pensive mood and informed me about some electronic breakdown. She also informed me about some problem in our home PC caused by this and requested me to get it repaired as soon as possible. To this, our little master commented, "Arre didi! Abhi kyon bolti ho? Unko andar aane to do, baithne to do. Khana khane ke baad wo mana nahi karenge. Pahle unko smile dekar greet karna chahiye."

Oh! It was a revelation to me. I got a pleasant surprise and many thoughts. The first thought, How quickly do children grow up? The second one, It's really important to start a meeting with positivity. The third one, It's always easy for all of us to listen to demands after a warm welcome. And of course, energy and enthusiasm are the key to create a positive first impression.

Let us try to phrase the management learning out of this. The success of a meeting depends on many things. One of them is the supportive mindset of the two parties. And the initial warmth is instrumental to this. When we meet someone, display of energy, enthusiasm, warmth and sincere pleasure is a must. It not only sets the tone of the meeting, but also increases the possibility of a favourable agreement!

Let it be a positive promise! Every beginning of every interaction - will begin with an enthusiastic smile!