(Natural Human Instinct or Behaviour (9) cont. 1)
2. First Impressions Dominate Classification

Introduction
You make sense of the world by classifying and using binary alternatives, ie black or white, either/or, eg good or bad, like or dislike, gain or loss, us vs them, like me or not like me, strategic or tactical, team player or not, warm or cold, etc. Initial classification or impression is hard to change, ie first impression dominates, especially if backed up by subsequent similar impressions; the initial classification happens in seconds and is based on how you feel; any delays in classifying results in delays in sense-making.
Classifying is part of our survival mechanism, ie quickly screening information into 'good' or 'bad', etc; the resultant in an instant reaction was a good way to survive in ancient times
This instinct helps explain why:
"...- we are guided by gut feelings
     - anxiety increases if we can't make sense of something
     - one department might not get along with another
     - we can win or lose people in our first few words..."
Andrew O'Keeffe, 2011
Instinct
Instinct can be called gut feeling or hunches or rules of thumb or sixth sense.
It is about judgement that often starts as subconscious process:
"...1. it appears quickly in consciousness
     2. whose underlying reasons we are not fully aware of and
     3. is strong enough to act upon..."
Gert Gigerenzer as quoted by Andrew O'Keeffe, 2011
It is the unexplained sense of something being either good or bad, etc.
"...it's part of our ability to be able to infer things and intuit conclusions from the available information.....allow us to make effective decisions without conscious thought......consciously aware of something that was not fully explainable yet it was strong enough to act upon..."
Andrew O'Keeffe, 2011
It allows you the ability to infer information and react to patterns or circumstances that do not fit with what you know or are familiar with.
Gut feeling allows people to accommodate the most important information and ignore the rest.
NB
Humans prefer to make quick judgements about people and situations; this is done to help classify our experiences.
"...Rather than engage in time-consuming analysis, we rely on first impressions and gut feeling to quickly classify people, situation and experiences......we make surprisingly accurate assessments on thin slices of information..."
Andrew O'Keeffe, 2011)
First impressions
The first impressions are made in a few seconds and/or first 7 words (included in this is body language, especially facial expressions); need to subconsciously trigger the desired classification; this can be done by:
"...1. Being specific - your first few words are not generic and are specific to the situation
     2. Using plain language - so your point is easily process by your listener(s)
     3. Being truthful - so that you are ethical, your words are congruent with your feelings, you are believable and considered trustworthy
     4. Exploring a single concept - more than one concept is likely to confuse your listener
     5. Being emotional - you trigger the appropriate emotion for the moment
     6. Not using jargon - the listener might attach a different meaning to any terminology
     7. Providing a narrative - provides a theme for your ongoing discussion or proposition..."
Andrew O'Keeffe, 2011
Some examples of a good use of the first 7 words
"...- I'd like to ask a clarifying question
     - please help me understand
     - I'd like to understand more
     - please explain this one point
     - I don't quite understand yet
     - I'm not clear on
     - you are the expert, so please explain
     - you know this so well
     - I'm curious about something
     - I was wondering why
     - you're the right person to help me understand
     - the reason I am asking
     - this is what I am thinking
     - my framework of reference is
     - I suggest we look at
     - I notice that
     - this is excellent..."
Patricia Clason as quoted by Andrew O'Keeffe, 2011 NB
First impression are based on classification.
"...classification is based on the emotion experienced in the first few seconds, and once they have formed their judgement, they are unlikely to change their minds......interest or disinterest happens in the first few seconds.....based on gut feeling and the emotional processing..."
Andrew O'Keeffe, 2011
Most times the first impression is an accurate interpretation but not always.
Aim to make the first impression and subsequent reviews positive.
Once the first impression is made, we tend to look for supporting evidence of our first impression and interpret subsequent information to fit our assessment, ie confirmation bias (for more details see elsewhere in the Knowledge Base), ie you look for indications to reinforce your classification and discount information that does not conform to the classification; need to be able to suspend judgement, ie consciously park the first impression so that you can seek more information and not be blinded by your gut feeling.
If we are unable to classify quickly and accurately, humans become anxious and tend to infer the worst.
Furthermore, the person who speaks first tends to be believed, ie by being first gives you the best chance to classify the situation as you want.
NB Classifications will be made based on the emotion you feel the instant you hear the information.
Them and us
Classifying groups of people into 'them and us' results in the development of silos and the resultant turf wars.
"...the significance of them and us explains the lengths people go to in order to belong..."
Andrew O'Keeffe, 2011
This can be shown by the following characteristics:
- clothes people wear in a group, ie similar group style
- language people use
- where people live and socialise, etc.
Negative feedback
Normally it is harder to give negative feedback than positive.
It is best to give negative feedback from a helpful orientation, ie learning benefit, so that it enables a positive emotional attachment.
Summary
The first impression is pivotal
"...the power of classifying: we go on very little information, rely on hunches and intuition, and once we classify, usually in binary terms, subsequent experiences are interpreted and to align with - our first classification. Once we make up our minds about someone or something, it takes an awful lot to shift our opinion..."
Andrew O'Keeffe, 2011
"...1. Humans make their first impressions of people, events and places within a few seconds
     2. In terms of communication, timeframe for the first impression is the first 7 words
     3. First impressions are mainly driven by the emotion generated in those first few seconds
     4. Based on the first emotional feelings, we classify our meaning
     5. Our classifications are binary in nature (good versus bad, like me versus not like me).
     6. Once we have made our instant assessment, we are unlikely to change our opinion..."
Andrew O'Keeffe, 2011)