How do you show up?
And how do other people perceive you?
It is Friday and, as usual, I am assessing my week. This week has been quite unpredictable, but I have just noticed a very interesting pattern.
90% of my coaching conversations have been centred on this driving question: ‘How do people see me?’
Automatically, if you asked me this question, I would reply: ‘How do you want them to see you?’
But, right now, another thought comes to my mind: ‘What do people really see?’
Some years ago, I was in The van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, admiring a self-portrait of the artist among a dozen of other visitors, including a little girl who seemed really impressed by what she was seeing.
Later in the morning, I encountered the girl again and I heard her telling her mum how exciting it had been to see the pink hairs and the blue glasses of van Gogh, adding that she would have loved to have the same look!
Well, I guess the little girl confused the real van Gogh with one of the visitors, who stood in front of the portrait for quite a while and, indeed, was wearing beautiful pink hairs and blue glasses.
How easy is it to get distracted and get off track, isn’t it?
I wonder: ‘What would van Gogh say about this and … what would he really see in this situation?’
Any ideas? Let me know in the comments below!
(Photo by Ståle Grut on Unsplash)