I was in a courtroom today, as I was required to participate in a jury selection. And although I was not chosen, I had some time while going through the motions to observe and reflect. I first off have to say that even just GOING to this jury selection was difficult for me, as I did NOT want to be there, but I made the choice to enjoy my day, whatever the outcome. I’m so glad I made that choice, as it allowed me the freedom to learn a valuable lesson!
These are my observations … first, there were the faces. It was VERY obvious that most everyone felt the same way I did, and that they did NOT want to be there. There were faces of displeasure, disgust, disdain and just down-right grumpiness. There were some faces of anticipation, a little confusion … and I think I saw ONE woman smiling!
These faces that we put on are our cover, our front if you will! THIS IS THE FIRST THING PEOPLE SEE, they leave our first, and important, impression! Although I am generally a very happy person, and have a positive outlook on most everything, I was reminded today that a smile is the first step in a fulfilled and rewarding life … NO MATTER what, who or where you are!!
Second, there’s the uniform. Some say “oooh, I love a man in uniform”, or, others hold more of an mind-set of dislike and distrust in authority figures who need to wear uniforms for what they represent; rules, being told what to do, etc. Uniforms instill, for some, fear, respect and even awe. As I realized today, it too is just a cover. Who that person really is, and is meant to be, is underneath that uniform.
My third observation came in the form of costumes. These too are fronts, or covers, we wear. In Canada, lawyers in our Provincial courts are required to wear special outfits. I suppose it is a way of identifying them, or perhaps something passed down from the Queen, I honestly don’t know why we do that here. But, my observation of the other jurors watching these lawyers walk through the hallways and court rooms was very interesting. Although the lawyer is the one who can help you obtain your freedom (if you are the accused of course), we snicker, point and outright feel sorry for this person of power and prestige based on their appearance. Why is that? Is it because of his costume? My observation today was an overwhelming YES! Simply because of the cover he was required to wear, people had less respect for him than they did the police officer standing right next to him.
So, my conclusion in all of this was that yes, our appearance is extremely important. Should we be judged on our appearance? Definitely not, but it happens all the same. What is underneath the cover is what really matters, but, if you want people to get to know the real you, you must appear to be someone they want to get to know! A smile, where it all starts, really goes a LONG way to that end! A clean t-shirt helps too!
Therefore, to put this into a business perspective, one must smile and present yourself in the best appearance possible in order to attract and sustain customers and clients!
Please remember that these are just my observations of today, and in no way have any bearing on anything … I’m just blogging here people!
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