This goes for both personal life & business interactions.
As you get older you realize – not everyone has the same ability to focus on the nuance of their delivery. That makes some interactions awkward & uncomfortable.
But I’d much rather hear directly from someone: where the delivery may not be as smooth…& the words may be jumbled, who is REAL…than to hear from someone with a silver tongue, who’s not direct.
Think about how much time is LOST, getting to know someone – as a friend, as a roommate, romantically, etc…or getting to work with someone on a project, or collaborate on an idea: when push comes to shove & the end objectives were never discussed…or possible outcomes were never fleshed out. Or worse…they were & they convinced you of something other than their true intentions, to draw you in.
As I get back to traveling more after the last year & a half, & I notice which friends I’ve made in the past who I’m drawn to meeting up with, maintaining a friendship with, or continuing to do business with, it seems to most always come down to one common denominator: they are unapologetic & transparent about who they are.
Have a friend who doesn’t like staying out late in Vegas – fine, we’ll grab dinner early instead of milking the idea we’re going to go out for drinks later, only to be disappointed.
Have someone who says they’re in it for the money & not the impact, on a project? Fine – that lets ya know whether your North Star core objectives are aligned & you want to work with that person or not.
Niceties may seem to come from a big heart…but don’t they often just delay the inevitable? Our time is valuable. Who we spend that time with is valuable. Real & direct is where it’s at…especially when it comes to maintaining your OWN Mental Health.
