I was visiting a certain biotech enterprise in the heart of Cambridge/MA. The office has a sleek, gleaming glass polish and the unmistakable whisper of success. Minimal, modern. Touches of wood humanize the gloss. A stillness hangs in the air, as if to say “hey, important work is conducted here.”
A polite and brainy-looking young man (note: the rare male) greets me at the Concierge desk.
He shows me where the coat closet is. Let’s me know that Susan, the HR leader I’m about to meet, is running a few minutes late. Offers coffee or water and wanders off to take care of my request.
Here’s what gets my attention. Like the characters in the movie “Groundhog Day,” I have stepped into this moment over and over again. This fellow inhabits it without any show of fake perkiness or robotic professionalism. I sense a genuine understated concern for my well-being. He moves with an animal-like ease. Intent, focused, graceful. Above all, unhurried. If anything, this moment feels like a throwback to a gracious olden time, when a welcome was more than a well-executed necessity. I settle into a lobby chair, feeling oddly at peace.
When I describe my experience of this moment to Susan, she quips.
That’s Keith. He’s our VP of First Impressions. And Susan elaborates. Keith is really a composer. This is his day job.
VP of First Impressions. I love that phrase. It celebrates Keith. Elevates the importance of the first moment. And demonstrates a reverence for the artistry involved in such moments.
In your life and my life, WE are our VP of First Impressions.
I learned it in my career as a theatre director, back in the days. I auditioned hundreds of actors. Actors bring a 2-minute prepared monologue. My decision was often made seconds after they entered the room, before the monologue had actually begun.
First Impressions.
The hardest thing about my job, Bill Johnson, the CEO of Avail Infrastructure Solutions, said to me one day, is that the moment I step out of my office I have to be ON.
ON doesn’t mean FAKE ON. Doesn’t mean extra-effort ON. It means conscious and present. CHECKED OUT is the opposite of ON. Not an option when each day is filled with an onslaught of first impressions. We all do first moments differently. How we do them is informed by our personality and our sense of context. But if you wish to rise to the VP Level, here are some basic reminders that I hope will be helpful.
Sometimes first moments come announced. We have an appointment. A scheduled meeting. Most of the time, first moments, and the first impressions that come with them, just happen. We’re not ready. We’re on our way somewhere else. We rush through such moments to get to what we deem more important.
Don’t. There was a thoughtfulness to everything Keith does in his Concierge role. Like it really matters. First impressions matter.
Instead of rushing, settle into the moment.
When we rush, it is tempting to not fully listen to what the other person says. Our mind is still on other matters. Because we wish to participate, however, and because we abhor silence, we start to babble. It tends to be an inherently nervous babble. And we don’t know when to stop. Yikes. Not ever a desirable first impression.
Instead of babbling, shut up and listen to the other person.
Because my mind is on other matters as I stumble into an unexpected greeting, I am not fully conscious as we greet each other. I go through the motions of the greeting because I have learned to do that well – but my mind and my body are not in the same place. Notice. Switch. Get here.
Instead of thinking ahead, turn the mental switch. Choose to be here.
That’s the greeting show. The automatic greeting behaviors we have assimilated into muscle memory. For many, this muscle memory is associated with a persona that says like me. “Happy to see you.” “All is well in the world.” We step into behaviors that unintentionally seek to elicit this first impression. We put on the same show regardless of context and what is true for us that day. We behave like well-trained hamsters. The first impression we’re likely generating? We’re a happy fake.
Instead of stepping into assimilated greeting behavior, abandon any need to put on a show.
“Keith is a composer.” I think of this tidbit of information offered by Susan. Maybe that’s why he gets it right. Maybe each encounter in life is a whole new composition. A piece of music co-created with another, in the moment. I think of the infinite compositions of music that already exist and yet to be composed. I think of how deeply great music stirs me.
Tired of too many “Groundhog Day” moments? Get clear on how YOUR VP of First Impressions shows up. This is essential success behavior. You have endless opportunities, every day, to be this VP. Why not elevate yourself to the VP level?
Show up well. Make some beautiful music.
