I recently met with Zal, a doctorate student and chatted about his experience in landing a gig as Director of a Ministry in Zambia his home country. It seemed the odds were against him – for one, the opportunity attracts political influences as it deals with natural resources and two, only individuals from a certain part of the country held the role previously. None of these changed the fact that Zal was fully qualified.
The right perception is key to any opportunity or frankly in everyday conversations. We often hear people talk about their interaction with others, only to realize their focus is on “how things are said” vs. “what was actually said”. Irrespective of the outcome, there is something to learn from all situations. Be it is an interview or a controversial discussion, why not assume the other person is smart not arrogant?
I learnt an important lesson from Val that day, that only him could talk himself out of that opportunity. He was not distracted by how things were said, his eyes were on the prize. The opportunity to learn from others is continuing education at the cost of keeping an open mind. Be conscious, always respect the achievements of others (not superficially) and give credit where due.