One of the global business principals I learned many years ago was Positive Intent. Positive intent is putting a perspective on someone’s actions or words, that the other person only has the best intentions.
We think we do this, but if we actually thought about it, we might notice, like I have, I do not always think the positive. The hardest times I have remembering Positive Intent is when someone does something in a different way than I would do.
I travel globally for business and have encountered many different situations that applying Positive Intent has increased my patience with the person or situation. A frequent happening is when I deal with someone who speaks “perfect” English. There are times I find I am repeating myself and get frustrated they are not doing what I am telling them to do, or just not understanding me. Positive Intent allows me to stop and think and ask myself a question – are they not listening? or is it that they do not understand my English? More times than not, it is the latter. Just because someone sounds like they speak perfect English, it does not mean they understand perfect English.
I have thought about Positive Intent many times over the last couple of months. I have tried to understand the thought behind a politician’s remarks, especially when they are so different from my own. I fundamentally believe most people are good and they truly are trying to do good, I just need to think of it from their perspective. This does not mean I will agree with them, but allows me to comprehend better and leaves me less irritated.
Remembering Positive Intent takes conscious effort and patience. During this time of year, many people are stressed for whatever reason. When someone says or does something you may not agree with, try to think of the positive intent and you may feel more encouraged.
image: “Handshake-Hard Times“ © Spot Us used with permission via Creative Commons License.
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Love this, Fern! Well put. Thank you for sharing the sentiment. I’ll put this to use immediately, so easy to understand, applicable and meaningful. A