First impressions can make or break you

  • Published
  • By Col. James Abatti
  • 71st Operations Group commander
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  We've all heard the saying, "First impressions last a lifetime."

Although this saying may not be 100 percent true, it is close. First impressions last a long time and they are extremely difficult to change.

A first impression is simply a mental image of you, your character, your work ethic, your personality and your professionalism that the unit forms over the first couple of weeks or months.

A first impression is like a picture without all the details, or a coloring book outline with only one-third of the details filled in. A first impression is developed over the first few weeks or months people know you. The rest of your time in the unit is spent coloring in the remaining details of the image.

Without a doubt, a good first impression is critical to your success in any unit or job. If you establish a good first impression then your positive actions/successes will continue to reinforce and fill in your commander's, supervisor's and peer group's image of you in a positive way. A good first impression is essential to gaining the trust and respect of the unit. It's the foundation upon which all else is built.

In addition, a good first impression can help you weather difficult times. If you make a good first impression, small mistakes will often be overlooked because they don't fit the image everyone has of you.

The bottom line -- a good first impression gives you a solid foundation upon which to build and it can help you through troubled times.

At the other end of the spectrum is a bad first impression -- the proverbial "Problem Airman."

If you make a bad first impression, every mistake from that point on just reinforces the bad image everyone has formed of you. In fact, every mistake is used to fill in the details of the image in a negative way.

Even when you change for the good, your changes are not readily accepted because they don't fit the image that everyone has formed of you.

Over time, positive changes can erase a bad first impression, but it takes months and years to do. Think of it as each good deed or action erasing a small portion of your bad image.

You have to continue to prove yourself over time until the bad image is completely gone and only then can you slowly start redrawing the good image. It's not a fast process!

And your peers, who established a good first impression, are solidifying themselves as top Airmen in the unit while you are working to erase the bad first impression. Like with a race, a bad start can mean the difference between winning and losing.

If you remember one thing from this story, remember it is you who determines if you will make a good or bad first impression and you only have one chance to do it!

My advice -- hit the ground running. Show up with a great attitude, willingness to learn, come prepared for the task at hand and most of all, embrace the unit and our Air Force core values. If you do this, you can avoid the pit fall of a bad first impression and set yourself up for success.