Some people call it an aura. Leading business coach Dale Williams says you should think of it as a big blue bubble. Whether you think in colours or not, though, the idea is the same: our deeds and actions have a way of subtly making themselves known to others whether we realise it or not.
Unless we’re sociopaths or psychopaths – and, unfortunately, many more of us are than we’d care to think (for more on that, read Clive Simpkins’ piece on South Africa’s sociopath bosses here) – our intentions and motivations give off vibes.
We attract or repel others on the basis of our history.That’s the upshot of this blog, one of the most popular on Biznews.com in 2013.
Dale Williams reckons people can read us well on the basis of our bubble. If we want to get on with people better this year, we need to be thinking about how we can be influencing this sphere of energy around us, is his message.
You might think people don’t change, but Dale’s uplifting blog suggests incremental change is possible. – JC.
@alechogg As long as the bubble is DA blue, it's ok with me 😉
— Helen Zille (@helenzille) December 31, 2013
The big blue bubble and other practical advice from a top business coach
By Dale Williams
Think of it as a big blue bubble. It travels with us wherever we go and it is filled with the things we say and do. The contents however tend to linger well beyond our words and actions. It is like our history travelling around with us.
If we are genuinely a well meaning person who has mostly valuable interactions with others then one fallout is not likely to have a big effect. Similarly, if we mostly fight with the world, it makes it harder for us to get on with anyone.
Our bubble is there for anyone to see. It is surprising how accurately people can describe us just from experiencing our bubble. Before we open our mouths people have a sense if who and how we are. Blink.
Likewise there are bubbles around families, companies, churches, cities and countries. The French bubble looks and feels different to the British bubble. The Catholic bubble is different to the Jewish bubble.
Our own bubbles interact with each others and with those of the organisations we inhabit.
When somebody says something like ‘trust me’ while their bubble is telling you to run a mile, we feel uncomfortable.
The question we need to ask ourselves is how are we influencing our bubbles with what we say and do?
Do our bubbles represent who we would like to be? And if not, what can we do about it?
Dale Williams blogs weekly in the connectedblog exploring examples that arise from the work he does helping clients create better strategies for themselves and their business. More about Dale at www.connecteddale.com. If you would like to receive his regular updates, click here.
