Bad first impressions – ten ways to fix them

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We've all made a bad first impression at some point. But the truth is, by working on it step by step, you can improve and show yourself from the best side. And here's how.

A sincere apology will fix the situation

A bad first impression can happen for a variety of reasons. Maybe you were late for an important meeting with your new partners and suddenly remembered that you hadn't prepared for it. Or maybe you accidentally said something hurtful or made a bad joke and someone took it personally. And whatever the reason, you need to apologize as soon as possible. You can do it in person right away or send a short message. It's better than ignoring your mistake. However, it's important not to overdo it, because it's very easy to unintentionally make an already delicate situation just plain awful. Once you apologize, you need to move on.

Don't be too hard on yourself

Because of your nervousness, you may have barely looked the other person in the eye, or you may have been glancing at your phone every few minutes, waiting for an important message. Whatever happens, don't beat yourself up for it. As long as you exaggerate the scale of the consequences and overthink things, your interlocutor or the group of people you are addressing will share your thoughts. Take into account what happened and remember that you need to move on. There is no need to draw unnecessary attention to yourself. Having drawn conclusions, it is worth letting it go and continuing to fulfill your duties.

Remain yourself

Being yourself is the best way to avoid awkward situations. The best thing is to be honest and not be ashamed of the fact that you are nervous and trying to make a good impression. If you feel that this meeting will not be the last, this is a sure sign that you are behaving correctly. Natural and relaxed behavior convinces future partners that you are an honest and reliable person. Do you have a good sense of humor? Don't hide it. Too talkative? Slow down and listen more carefully to others.

Accept your mistakes

We are sure that others see us as we see ourselves. However, this is not so. They see what we show, and we, in turn, try to please them. If you made a mistake by wearing casual clothes to a business meeting, forget about it as soon as possible and feel confident. People will not look at your clothes at all if you are comfortable and your behavior is natural and calm.

Watch your body language

You can take control of the situation with your body language. Listen carefully, look the person in the eye, smile more, and don't cross your arms in front of you. Hold something in your hands (like a cup of coffee or a notebook) if it helps you feel less anxious. Yes, it's worth making an effort to show that you can be shy and nervous, but at the same time remain attentive and ready to solve the tasks at hand.

Ask others for their opinions

Do you have a friend or trusted person in your team? Ask them what they think of you. If they agree that you made a bad impression, ask them to talk to the person in front of whom you made a mistake. However, do this only if the trusted person knows the person you need well. The truth is that your friend's opinion is likely to be authoritative and listened to if they say that you are not who you might seem at first glance. If successful, this approach will help you correct the awkward situation you have found yourself in.

Don't ignore new colleagues

Instead of hiding behind an office partition and avoiding contact with colleagues, gather the courage to freely and calmly start a conversation with them. Yes, you made a mistake once, but people will see that you are sincerely trying to improve your situation. Don't be persistent, but if you have the opportunity to talk one-on-one with someone whose opinion is valuable to you, don't miss it. Yes, it takes a lot of time to correct your precarious situation. However, these efforts will pay off in full.

Be calm

Have you heard the saying: “it takes time to start trusting you, but only a second to lose trust”? This also applies to situations when a person makes a bad first impression. If you have a person among your colleagues with whom you want to build a friendly or business relationship, be prepared for the fact that you will need time. Once you have decided how you want to be in the eyes of this person, make sure that your actions lead you to the goal. This takes time. However, trust will grow, and they will make an increasingly favorable impression of you.

Use the opportunity to work on the project together

If you made a bad impression on your new colleague, find an opportunity to work on something together. If you are both equally responsible for the outcome of a joint project, then you absolutely need to build a trusting relationship with each other. After a while, this will allow him to see you in the best light. Working on a project together, achieving success, you will surely become good partners, and respect and trust for you will grow.

Ask yourself if it is worth your energy

As a result of nervous tension, you could probably have given the impression of a self-centered person, because you talked a lot about yourself and your problems. However, instead of worrying about this, accept that it happened and move on. Yes, we all want to please others in any situation. However, in the case of failure, it is better to ask yourself “should I care about this?” Is it really so important that this person now thinks badly of you? If you've really made an effort to please your colleagues, accept it and remember that it's impossible to please everyone.