I was at dinner the other night with some people from work I don’t know well, and the subject of TV came up.
I said, “I love The Bachelorette.”
“You watch The Bachelorette?”
“Why yes I do. Does that surprise you?”
“It sure does. I thought you only read books or maybe watched the History channel.”
I didn’t get much into it but the next day I was riding to work with another person who’d been there and asked her if she thought the comment had been a bad thing.
She chose her words carefully.
“Well they don’t know you personally and maybe you appear to be the type that doesn’t watch frivolous TV, but if they knew you, they wouldn’t say that.”
Ok, so that means that I appear to be something at work other than what I am. I know that’s not true with those that work with me closely. They think I’m a frivolous idiot half the time, but those that only work with me occasionally apparently do not.
I was thinking about it last night and realized that we have no idea how we appear to others. None. And, it’s important. According to Oprah, it’s really important to be authentic. Yes, you snobs out there, I watch Oprah. Well, truth be known, I TIVO Oprah and then decide whether I want to watch it based on the topic. But the question is now out there. How to show my shallow authentic self at work with those I barely know? It’s daunting.
Then it comes to me in a flash. Our business cards should have information that tells the recipient more about the real you. Things they might not see in the ten minutes or so of business interaction.
Christine is a frivolous person who speaks with authority about things in books she hasn’t read. She watches hours and hours of shallow TV each week, and she usually does her work minutes before presenting it. Therefore, if you need something in a hurry, she is your girl. … And so forth.
I think it could be very helpful and am considering doing it. Trouble is, everyone except me would lie and I would look like an ass. Oh well.
