Don’t Apologize for Being a Tired Chick

I recently logged on to Zoom as I was being interviewed for a consulting opportunity. It had been more than a month since I had logged into someone else’s zoom meeting. And as I logged on (a bit early) everyone was already there. I couldn’t find myself on the screen, and as I was looking I heard someone say “Who is ‘Tired Chick?’”

Suddenly, I realized that was me!  I couldn’t remember the occasion or with whom I had named myself Tired Chick, but now I had to turn on my camera and in doing so acknowledge that I had had an occasion to refer to myself as a “chick” and that apparently I am chronically tired. In that moment of embarrassment, I had a decision to make. How would I handle this? What I did was laugh and smile and said that I must have had a leftover icebreaker activity still on my profile – and I changed it back to my name as I thanked them for inviting me to speak to them about the consulting opportunity.

I have learned over my years of consulting that having a “lightness” to my interactions while being quite serious about the work seems to be a good balance. I am also keenly aware that using language like “chick” could have immediately offended someone (I was checking facial expressions) and could have colored the entire interaction. 

When I train people on how to train others, one point I make is to not apologize unless it is really something to apologize for. When we draw attention to mistakes or situations outside of our control we put a spotlight on them. During this conversation, I preferred to put the spotlight on my sense of humor, rather than apologize profusely for my “unprofessionalism” and “inappropriate language.” Neither of those descriptions are good descriptions of me – despite introducing myself as a Tired Chick.

In the end – I was hired for this consulting opportunity. I will work extra hard to appear well rested!

And if you’re wondering why my profile said Tired Chick – I can’t answer that precisely. But I now remember the occasion and whom I was with. A month earlier I was in a fun planning meeting with my high school friends. We were going to a lake house together for an annual trip. Somewhere along the line we had changed our names. With “old timers” like us – being tired and referring to ourselves using outdated language is pretty common.