Blink.

In a nod to Malcolm Gladwell's seminal tome of 2005, the art of thin slicing, "our ability to gauge what is really important from a very narrow period of experience", has seen me recently gauge and react accordingly to people I have not met before or known for a very short period of time. Gladwell indicates that often we have too much information and decision paralysis along with prejudices, likes and stereotypes can get in the way of a spontaneous decision. Often the further collection of information just goes to validating our original thinking or belief and that micro seconds are all that is needed when summing up people from the expressions on their faces.

In a meeting last week, I met a young man who was in charge of a very large and powerful innovation fund. He had come to a meet us and learn more about the business and the team behind the strategy. Half my age and twice as wise and unusual in a good way, is how I described him later, when my wife asked how the meeting went. For the longest time he said nothing, listened intently, had a totally open mind and was completely non judgemental. I gathered that from his body language and facial expressions and as the studies of Paul Ekman, who came up with the Facial Action Coding System, indicate, the face is a rich source of what is going on inside our minds and that micro-expressions give note to emotions and thoughts picked up if studied closely. The meeting went on to last for 6 hours, so was my initial thinking, my initial "thin slicing" correct? It was validated over and over again as the young man brought forth salient points of interest to the business, asked the most probing questions, couched in language that made the room comfortable and showed he knew it was all about us and not about him.

The so called 7 seconds, you have to make an impression, the power of body language and the ability to sum yourself up in less than 30 seconds in an "elevator speech", have long been the arena of sales folklore and many make their living touting the value of that first meeting and what can be accomplished long term, if all the right signals are sent. Seth Godin often quotes "if you can't state your position in eight words, you don't have a position", giving further rise to the power of decisions made on a big picture rather than gathering mountains of information.

Many push back and address the conundrum with a wait and see attitude, gathering data, facts and information to be analysed, appraised and evaluated. For many this analysis becomes a wall too high to scale and all the advantages gained by intuition, "gut feelings", insight and instinct fall by the wayside and they stay closed to the surprise of meeting someone for the first time and knowing they'll be a great friend or colleague, just by the smile on their face.

When asked I often tell people my philosophy is based around the thinking, the next person I meet, could be my best friend for the rest of my life, so why wouldn't I smile and extend my hand. You never know who you might meet if you are open to the moment.