Seeing the Best in Others

When reading a book called Me, Myself, and Us: The Science of Personality and the Art of Well-Being the other day, right off the bat the book struck me. One of the most important quotes I read, author Brian Little stated, "We will find that how you construe others reveals as much as you as it does about them." He explains this with a situation of if you were in a restaurant and saw a man a few tables over send back his meal for the 4th time, what would you think of him? Would you automatically assign traits to this man (rude, perfectionist, etc)? Would you assume he is acting out of his norm and possibly just had a bad day? What I took out of this is what we see in others can reveal a lot about who we really are. It does make sense because I feel that often times people with a positive outlook on the world tend to see the best in people. I think that this can be a weakness and a strength. Having a negative outlook on life is toxic and unproductive. However assuming that everyone around you has your best interests in mind or treats you as well as you treat them can also lead to disappointment. I think there is a balance between seeing the best in people while also understanding that not everyone makes the right decisions all the time. As managers, there is a time and place for seeing the best in others. It is important to trust your employees and set them up for success but it is also important to recognize failures and when a team member is just not working out. I am super excited about what I've read so far from this book and for what is to come.