TAKING THE “SNAP” OUT OF SNAP JUDGMENTS

​By Eliana Barriga
Publisher and Managing Editor for The Retail Observer

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Eliana Barriga

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 thisone.It’s sweeter and juicier!” —author unknown

This story illustrates how the 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 impulse, the scenario could have turned out poorly, perhaps a confrontation that could have affected the relationship.

I am guilty of snap judgment myself 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), versus 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 out that the employee took the best action given the circumstances? If we allow those situations to just play out a bit to see where it is going, we gain a wider perspective of, “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: Never jump to conclusions because you never know where it might take you.

Happy communicating,
Eliana Barriga
eliana@retailobserver.com

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