HIDDEN AGENDAS/INTENTIONS

Often when we don’t set an intention, we have a hidden intention, hidden agenda or ulterior motive that counteracts what we are really doing. This hidden intention may even be hidden from your own view. Your actions say one thing but the effect is something different. You may have seen this in meetings where people are speaking, but something seems off. They are saying one thing which makes sense intellectually but what they are saying does not square with the message you receive. For example, in a project meeting, someone comes up with a suggestion that seems irrelevant. It looks as though they are contributing but actually they just want to look as if they are contributing and making an effort.

Here are some examples of hidden intentions I’ve noticed in many a meeting:

• To prove how clever I am.
• To prove that I am always right.
• To prove that it is their fault.
• To disrupt this project so that I can get out of it.
• To let people know how busy I am so that they will stop giving me more work.
• To assert authority and control a situation.

Hidden agendas are a normal human habit and there is nothing inherently wrong with this. However, it helps to be mindful of your own hidden agendas so that you don’t sabotage your or someone else’s efforts.