Wouldn't it be great if people announced their dysfunctions and hidden agendas at the start of a relationship rather than you having to discover it later?
Think about how much time you would save. You'd know right from the get-go whether or not you wanted to hire, date or vote for someone.
The FDA requires food labeling to alert us to potential hidden dangers packed inside seemingly harmless treats. I think we should do the same thing for people. They should come with warning labels clearly identifying what's really inside their box.
Here's my warning label wish list:
1. Coworkers would have their ulterior motives printed directly on their employee ID badges.
They could go right under their name and photo.
Imagine being in a meeting with "Mr. I don't care how many dead bodies I have to crawl over to get ahead." If you saw that printed on his badge, you'd know that you need to protect your back.
About to do a joint project with "Ms. talks a big game to impress the boss, but never keeps her commitments?" Make her put everything in writing before you start.
Working with "Mr. I never make my deadlines, but always blame others?" Copy the boss on the project plan, and make a note when you hit your marks.
And when Mr. "I'm passing time trying to avoid any real work" walks into the room, one glance at his badge is all the justification you need for completely ignoring him.
This could improve office efficiency better than Six Sigma ever did. Once the dysfunctionals at work have been outed, it's time to tackle Congress.
2. Congressmen should wear "sponsor" jumpsuits like race car drivers.
The size of each logo represents the amount of money each "sponsor" had donated to the campaign coffers.
Talk about transparency in government. A Congressman making an impassioned plea for less financial regulation won't be as readily able to claim patriotism as his motive if he has to wear a jumpsuit with a big Citibank logo on his chest.
Imagine a Congresswoman recommending we leave heath care to the free market. Yet as her arm raises in a dramatic gesture pointing toward the heavens, you see a huge insurance company logo covering her sleeve.
Every single voter will know exactly who owns whom. With transparency in government accomplished, it's time for the final frontier, personal relationships.
3. Potential romantic partners would have their dysfunctions tattooed on their backsides.
Nobody should have to go to work with "Momma's Boy" stamped on his forehead. But if it were discreetly tattooed on his hindquarters, potential partners would know his true nature before they merged checking accounts.
Imagine how much drama you would avoid if someone began to disrobe and you saw "Clingy, crazy person who suffocates people" flashing in front of your face.
Would you envision a future with a woman whose has "My mother was a nag, and I'll be one too" written in cursive on her rump?
What if you saw "My first love is golf," or "I'm a cheater." The divorce attorneys would suffer, but you'd be saved.
Maya Angelou says, "When people show you who they are, believe them."
My method makes her advice a lot easier to follow.
Business strategist Lisa Earle McLeod specializes in sales force and leadership development. A sought after speaker, she is author of The Triangle of Truth, a Washington Post Top 5 Business Book.
Visit her blog -- How Smart People Can Get Better At Everything
Web site - www.TriangleofTruth.com
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Nobody should have a friend or what I call a peacock that pushes their programs, products or services with a ton of hype. But if it was added to their information or somewhere on their wall, that they are only interested in “making money,” or “promoting them or their stuff” we would know what we are in for, and decide if we want them as friends or not.
Using your method Lisa, we would quickly know who the “peacocks” are, and who the meaningful” friends” are. The ones that want to create connection, engagement and then sell in a deliberate non-salesy way.
So...one must learn to hone one's own personal radar to sense and avoid such types, just as you would avoid criminal attack. Personally, I have developed an instinctual allergy to dysfunctional people after a lifetime of overexposure from parents, relatives, co-workers, landlords, and boyfriends. I just can't stand to be around them, and do not want them in my life. To the extent that you have contact with them, they will generally bring you down if you let them. You have to have very strong boundaries as well as inner peace with yourself.
You might have fewer people in your life this way, but your life will be more harmonious and smooth.
And thanks to the magic power of labels, I never have to consider it again!