I Was Being A Brat
- Angela Cangialosi
- Nov 6, 2017
- 2 min read
I was sick and tired, literally. It was the start of another coaching weekend, but this time, the CEO was temporarily taking the place of one of my usual team leaders.
He comes into the room with what seemed like a Phd in micromanagement, an ego the size of Texas, and a slew of jokes to impress. I hated him. So much so that I didn’t speak once for the first two and a half hours.
I went to lunch and I was thinking about my experience and I was like, yikes I usually love my weekend trainings and this one has been super frustrating so far. I felt tense, impatient and on edge.
In coaching, something that I’ve come to see a lot of value in is that whatever is bothering me, it's not about that thing/person, it’s about me. Which is cool because that gives me all the power I need to make a shitty situation something that I can enjoy or at least learn from.
From that point on, I leaned in (literally, as I sat in my chair). I opened my mouth and contributed to the conversation. I said to myself, look Ang, you paid good money to be here, this is an incredible group of leaders that are offering you a ton of insight and opportunities for growth, get over your judgment and dig in.
Turns out, by the end of the two day weekend, I loved him for the experience he gave me: the awareness around my relationship that blew my mind, the belief in me as a Leader, the belief that I am doing amazing work as a coach, and the support that he gave to my entire group.
The experience of despising someone at first is something I think we’ve all had. Those moments where we judge someone and completely cut ourselves off from connecting to them and what they’re bringing to the table. We judge someone, refuse to understand them, and take nothing from the experience other than negative vibes. Which…are ultimately useless and don’t contribute to your well-being in the slightest.
Food for thought for when you encounter people that you’re not comfortable being with.
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