There are thousands of books written on creating the right first impression. From wearing the right clothes, a confident hand shake, the assertive body language et all. And very rightly so. Every brain unconsciously registers an impression within the first 6-10 seconds. We experience an emotion sub-consciously and that works closely with existing patterns, matches data with earlier experiences and categorizes it.

Did you know that emotions are nothing but neuro-hormones – chains of amino-acids that flow through our body and brain, carrying messages. Manufactured in part of our brain called hypothalamus, the hormones produced here – govern physiological functions like temperature regulation, thirst, hunger, sleep, mood etc.

Hypothalamus produces the hormones – which take approximately 5–10 seconds to be absorbed in the body. If we are not conscious of the surge of emotions we feel, chances are we will be “taken” by these hormones.

As much as it is important to leave a first impression, it is equally important to see through first impressions. Before jumping to judgments about whether a team member is good or not, a candidate is a good hire or not, it makes sense to be conscious of the emotions we are feeling and the judgements we are making.

Here comes the trick, the more open you are to change & new experiences, the more open you will be to a more objective understanding of the person. In fact, there has been research on how positive and negative feelings distort our judgement.

In a study conducted by Barbara Fredrickson, a university professor in Psychology, participants were asked to tally some objects they listed. Results showed that participants with negative emotions named remarkably fewer than those with positive or neutral emotions.

The conclusion is, negative emotions do narrow our mind, forcing us to pick from limited options. This phenomenon is especially observable when we are in a stressful situation, where we have to take immediate action. When we are trapped with a reduced number of choices as a result of emotions coming into play, we make wrong regretful decisions.

So, it’s really important to think positive or at the least – objective.

Over the years, we at Able Ventures have been researching on this area – seeing through first impressions. We have conducted multiple experiments to study how we can consciously move our perception beyond the projection of the other person. We have also met CBI officers and armed personnel to understand how they go beyond first impressions while gathering evidence.

Hiring mid – level managers or critical resources, understanding customers intent and more – we have gone beyond any other Indian firm to figure a solution for this problem. Using our technology, assessments, trainings and coaching programs – you can now learn this skill of “Overcoming Impressive First Impressions”.

Write to me at smita@ableventures.in to know more.