In my reckless youth, I learned many valuable lessons.  One of them was on the value of the Halo Effect.  I like to call this phenomenon the Law of the First Round.

First, I will explain the Halo Effect and then tell you my law.  The Halo Effect is when you make a great first impression and that is the image that another retains of you.  For instance, I had a boss who met me right after I won a big award.  In his eyes, I could no wrong.  Serendipitously, I made a great first impression that lasted.

When you bust your butt and are noticed for it, all is great.  Eventually your effort builds up equity…called sweat equity.  Those with this are able to get away with a bit more.  If one of my hardest workers is a few minutes late or wants a long lunch one day, no big deal because he earned it.  On the flip side, when a slug is late I am more likely to place my thumb on him.

I have seen this played out as a young worker, and now I see the effects of it as a supervisor.  For the most part it is a fair assessment, but there are those who know how to “fake it.”  They are utilizing the Law of the First Round.

Played out, the law is as follows.  We all go out as a group to a bar.  I buy the first round.  Later someone buys me a drink to repay me.  Then another person thinks that they should too.  As the night progresses, people begin to forget if they bought me a round yet.  All night long I benefit from minimal effort at the start of the evening.

There are plenty of people who bust their butts and deserve all the recognition.  However, we need to beware of those who have figured out this law.  They are the ones who kiss butt or live off of their early victories.  We just need to be sure that we are continually evaluating other’s efforts, not just the first round.

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