Things are not what they seem

Rutendo Gwatidzo-Changing Perspectives

Judging the book by its cover is one of the most common practices of life.

In business others say that first impressions matter. Allow me to pause a question before going further. Think about this yourself. How many times have you been disappointed or how many people do you know who have been disappointed by trusting quickly, only to realise that things were different from how they were presented? Life is like this, all that glitters is not gold only and this applies to every sector of life.

Be careful

The first appearances may be very deceiving, especially when it comes to making big decisions. Always take time to see what is underneath the book cover. Do not judge people by the jackets that they wear, many fell victims due to trusting people from outside looks. Many people that I interact with in the business sector, who have been corned in one way or the other, have a common story to tell. The common story is that the people who corned most of them looked like authentic business people and because of their smooth business language, many were quick to give in without paying attention to background details.

My experience

In my HR industry experience I have also come across many people who join organisations pretending to be what they are not. Some are very good at interviews and they talk business solutions like no other such that management waste no time in engaging them. Sadly, three months down the line after probation period, management might only realise that the individual did not meet the expected outcome. Yes, the company might dismiss the individual but the cost that individual would have been a liability to the organisation.

Take time to get to know people beyond the jackets that they wear.

I have also come across others who, after being trusted with company information and positions of influence, take advantage of it for personal gain. The same applies even in social life, I believe that a significant number of people probably got into relationships after the sweet approach that was presented to them, only to realise that the person is a monster in different ways. Personally I know of many people in the diaspora who got into relationships only to discover when the relationship had advanced, that the other part was married and has a family back home.

Imagine how painful it is yet, a little digging for information could have saved the heartbreak, a little uncovering of jackets would have revealed the hidden and a little opening of the book pages would have showed what is inside.

Beware of deception

Do not trust everyone who comes to you with a smile on the face, Jesus Christ was betrayed with a kiss which is the symbol of affection. It is common for many people to make judgments about others before even meeting them. Many have been judged quickly without being given a chance to uncover the other side.

As I reflect on my field of work, I have come across many people who looked like thugs yet they carried brilliant minds. For instance, technical people, a good number of the guys look untidy and scruffy yet very creative and innovative. I just remembered a funny story that happened while growing up. One of my cousins used to run away from his shadow at some point because the shadow seemed like something else until he made a decision one day to stop running in order to face the person and to ask why they keep chasing him, that is when he realised that the person could not talk, it was just a shadow.

Do your own research

One day I got into a conversation with someone in my neighbourhood after it had come to my knowledge through our kids that the family was really struggling to put food on the table and the kids were only having one meal per day, sometimes porridge only. I asked the mother of the house why they were struggling that much yet they owned a beautiful mansion and two big and nice cars. Her response broke my heart and I could not resist writing this article. She mentioned that the business that she and her husband owned collapsed during lockdown, their cars had been repossessed to cover debts and the house was already on the market but the market was suppressed however it was a matter of time for them to find buyer so that they buy a smaller house somewhere, pay school fees, clear some debts and probably start another small project. She also mentioned how they had sent resumes to many organisations looking for jobs but nothing had materialised yet. As such, they were in a mansion that many admired yet they were dying inside.

Think about it

Words may be spelt the same but carrying different pronunciations and meanings.

Things are not always what they seem. Bosses and managers are not always as strong and good as they look. On the other hand, some subordinates are not always as vulnerable as they imply. It’s always better, to take a step closer to the situation or to the next person to understand what comes before the surface image.

We are in a season where the number of people committing suicide is increasing. Be challenged to care for the next person beyond duty.

Be encouraged to go a little deeper before making decisions. Be inspired to always consider what counts the most. What counts is not the size of the dog but the size of the fight in the dog.

FOOTNOTE:

Rutendo Gwatidzo is a Human Capital Executive as an HR Consultant at The Hub HR. She is also a Speaker, Mentor and Author of the book Born to Fight. Contact detail –

Contact details – 0714575805/ [email protected] / Rutendo Gwatidzo official