Recently my Pastor told us about an occurrence where a political candidate’s daughter didn’t receive a hug and a kiss from the politician as you would normally expect.  Like my Pastor, I thought that was odd until I thought a little more about it.  It occurred to me that the candidate might not have done much kissing or hugging of his child prior to the media op, which was evidenced by her negative reaction.

It’s amazing how much what we do at home or in private is reflected in what comes to light when we’re out interacting in public.  When she was little, people were so impressed at how well-behaved my Goddaughter was when I brought her to church or took her out and about.  It was no surprise to me because I knew she was taught how to behave mannerly at home.  People who feign shock when their children act out at restaurants, theaters and in other public arenas are not fooling anybody.  The hard work of discipline and respect should be done at home!

The same can be said for us professionally.  Our work habits and ethics can provide more information about us than we realize.  I always say people show you who they are by what they do.  It never fails.  If you’re always running late you probably need to get up 15-20 minutes earlier to have your day flow more smoothly.  Organizing yourself the night before can help eliminate some morning stress.  Networking and attending conferences with other industry professionals will show in the depth of your thought process and conversations with your peers and managers.  Engaging in conversations with others who have viewpoints other than your own and tapping into diverse social media outlets will provide you with perspectives to engage in meaningful intercultural conversations.  If we wholeheartedly recreate off hours we can be more productive at work. Taking care of your physical and mental health will show in how you look, how you feel and how you perform your job.   Any “home training” activities that raise your awareness, enhance your well-being and increase your confidence level will reap great rewards professionally and personally.  Being genuine at all times will provide a peace of mind that allows you to move smoothly through your professional and personal relationships.

It’s true that some things can only be learned on the job however, it’s very beneficial to you and to your employer when you have a good foundation for the “on the job training” to be laid upon.  The things we do at home will show themselves in the light of day every time.

Lesson learned.