Look me in the eye and I’ll thank you

Look me in the eye:

When laying me off.
When giving me performance feedback.
When saying I didn’t get the project.
When stating that returns can only be made within 1 month from date of purchase.

People avoid looking in the eye to keep from feeling.  I say – allow yourself to feel compassion for me and for yourself.

No one likes to reject others; it’s uncomfortable.  Funnily enough, allowing yourself to feel it, to have compassion for yourself and the other person, makes the rejection much easier on you both.

The more you allow yourself to be truly compassionate, the more compassion the other person feels for you.  It’s a mutual exchange of compassion and it helps both sides.  It eliminates the “it’s personal” feeling and keeps it on the tactical level of  “company policy from way on high” or “a horrid time in the economy.”  The fact is, the majority of rejections aren’t personal.  It’s usually a hard, calculated financial decision that has little or nothing to do with the person in front of us.

And in those rare instances when it is personal, it’s even more crucial to be compassionate.

Look me in the eye and I’ll thank you for seeing me and allowing me to see you.