One of the most important skills you can develop is your ability to influence people. And, influencing people is tricky, because your natural tendency is to think that it is within your control. But, that isn’t the case. The decisions they make about you are theirs, not yours.

For example, if I say that I own a Prius, what conclusions do you draw about me?

You might think that I’m a tree hugging hippie and that I must be bleeping vegetarian.

Or, you might think that I’m an environmental activist, living in a way that minimizes my impact on the environment, living the ideals that we should all strive for.

But, in either case, that is your conclusion, not mine. You have no idea why I drive a Prius. You don’t know anything about what motivated me to make that decision.

So, when you and I interact, how you see me – as a tree hugging hippie or as an environmental champion will impact the interaction.

This episode examines the filters that we bring to our interactions with others and how we can understand them in order to improve our relationships.