The values we hold and how we introduce ourselves

Rethinking things.

The way I introduce myself is something that I have become far more aware of over the last three years as we have spent an increased amount of time online and in-front of a massive digital mirror. I don’t recall being as intentional with the words I used to describe myself when we interacted in a time when we had more regular in person gatherings. This may have been due to the experience of meeting a person or sharing an introduction being more experiential and multi- sensual as you could interpret a lot more from the broader landscape in person and didn’t just have to rely on eyes and words.

Maybe this time apart has made us better listeners!

As I think through the different words or reference points that I have used to intro myself over the years, I find myself wondering why I chose the ones I did. The context of the situation influenced the reference points I used to share my experience of showcase some of my thinking, I am fortunate to have been thrown in the deep-end early in my career and had to learn many skills on the go.

Perhaps it is because we are now meeting new people in an environment where they have to capture the type of person we are by the 30 second intro we give and the portrait image on a screen or an anonymous avatar if we wish to reserve our human identity for those that we are close to. Or maybe it is because I have become far more intentional with the messages and writing that I am putting out into the world as I learn from the experiences of life. If I were to guess, it’s probably a mix of a number of things and not just one.

This is something that has been on my mind a lot recently and I was triggered to put some words down while reading Adam Grant’s latest book Think Again — the power power of knowing what you don’t know.

This particular line was the pivotal trigger.

“Who you are should be a question of what you value, not what you believe” Adam Grant

What may it mean to introduce ourselves by describing our values rather than listing accomplishments or past experiences as the first port of call to give our reputation some colour. Now some may say that we already do this sub-consciously in the way we answer the question by the type of response we give and how we describe ourselves outside of “work”.

Try picture it or maybe try it in your next introduction you give when you are asked to introduce yourself to a new group of people.

Imagine answering the question with — “hey I’m Josh, I value integrity, people, listening, and those with an ambition to help change the world we live in for the betterment of humanity”.

This concept may seem extremely foreign, but it shouldn’t be. Sharing your values gives the audience we are introducing ourselves to an insight into who we are as person rather than just listing the work we have done and then asking them to figure out the type of person we are based on the associations the work projects imply.

In creating this practice we are detaching ourselves from our “work” reputation and showing up as our true character. As Grant says, “In the moment, separating your past self from your current self can be unsettling”. However I strongly believe that if we are to create a better future, we need to connect personally and understanding the values of others can go a long way towards achieving this.

In the early chapters of Think Again, Grant says “Attachment. That’s what keeps us from recognizing when our opinions are off the mark and rethinking them. To unlock the joy of being wrong we need to detach”

If we aren’t able to detach we run the risk of not being able to adapt.

Practice humility and let’s connect with one another as people, not on achievements or previous pieces of work.