RETAILOBSERVER.COM APRIL 2022
4
Eliana Barriga
eliana@retailobserver.com
Happy communicating,
APRIL 2022, VOLUME 33, ISSUE 4
CELEBRATING OUR 33
RD
YEAR
AS THE RETAIL OBSERVER
PUBLISHER/MANAGING EDITOR
E LIANA BARRIGA
DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING
MOE LASTFOGEL
ART DIRECTOR
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HANK ALEXANDER
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JOHN TSCHOHL
LIBBY WAGNER
ALAN WOLF
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THE RETAIL
A
man and his young daughter were at a farmer's market. The
daughter asked if they could get fresh apples, so the dad bought
two and handed them to his daughter while he put his change
away. He asked the daughter if he could have one of the apples, and the
girl quickly took a bite from one apple. Before he could say anything, she
took a bite from the second apple. The dad was surprised and disappointed
that his daughter acted so greedily, but at that moment, the daughter
handed him an apple and said, "Here, Daddy, take this one. It's sweeter
and juicier!" – author unknown
This story illustrates how snap judgments can be so inaccurate, as they
are influenced by our own perspective and experiences. What came to
the father's mind first (2 apples + 2 bites = greedy) wasn't the case at all,
and by the father simply observing his daughter and not reacting
immediately on his first impression, he was able to experience his
daughter's generous nature. Had he acted on his first impulse, the
scenario could have turned out poorly, perhaps a confrontation that could
have affected the relationship.
I am guilty of snap judgments on occasion, and when I do, I need to
remind myself: "What else could this mean – how could I be misreading
this?" The trick for me is to remember this in the moment!
How often do we make snap judgments with our customers, our
co-workers, or our employees, perhaps immediately acting (or
overreacting), instead of taking time to respond and clarify? Have you
ever noticed a questionable action of an employee, taken it wrong and
admonished them, only to find that the employee took the best action
given the circumstances? If we will just allow those situations to play out
a bit to see where they are going, we may gain a wider perspective:
"That's not what I would've done, but I can see the intention, and it works."
By embracing a more patient response, we can learn from others' thought
processes and increase our ability to communicate more effectively.
Here's the way I see it: Don't jump to conclusions, because you never
know where they might take you.
TAKING THE
"SNAP" OUT OF
SNAP JUDGMENTS
Elle's View As I See It
