On Successful Interactions: Curiosity, Respect, and Humility
Try this: Think about the last interpersonal interaction you had that didn’t go well. Now, think about a really positive interaction you recently had that energized you. I am willing to bet (were I a betting man) that in the positive experience, the other person had a posture of curiosity, respect, or humility. (Or perhaps all three.) On the flip side, I bet the negative experience, all three were absent from the other person’s posture.
Now think about those same experiences - what was your posture towards them? Were curiosity, respect, and humility present in your posture?
A lot of what I have been reading and listening to keeps highlighting the significance of the posture with which we approach the world. And just like how the posture we hold in our bodies ultimately shapes the position of our bodies, our attitudinal posture shapes the direction and position of our connections and relationships in our lives.
Here are three postures that will help you experience success in your interactions.
Curiosity
When you engage in interactions with others, are you curious about what you can learn from them? What different ideas or perspectives they might hold that you can learn from? Often when we have a difference of ideas or something doesn’t match our expectations, we go straight to frustration. What if, instead of getting stuck in frustration, we get curious? Imagine how that might change the dynamic in your relationships.
Respect
Are the people we interact with objects that we have to manage to get what we want, or subjects with hopes, dreams, fears, pains, and gains? Can we see the people in front of us as humans to be engaged and not objects to be moved?
Humility
Often people confuse humility with meekness or weakness. Humility is the ability to recognize and appreciate the gifts or strengths of others as much as, if not more than, ours. Perhaps C.S. Lewis said it best.
“Humility is not thinking less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less.”
If we can approach others in our lives (places where we work, play and live) with the postures of curiosity, respect, and humility, we are in a position to grow personally and deeper in our connection with others. That posture positions us for success and moving our impact forward.