What are the things that Sheila and Kevin are willing to share (Quad One)? Sheila can talk about the role and responsibilities of the Board Treasurer position. Kevin can disclose the time he is available each week to work as Treasurer and can share his legitimate interest in doing a good job. Hopefully, to make Kevin feel more comfortable, Sheila can also reveal that she often “feels a bit uneasy” in working with “financial matters.”
This is actually not “news” for Kevin. He already knew (his own Quad Three with regard to Sheila and part of Sheila’s Quad Two) that Sheila relied for many years on the financial expertise of her previous Treasurer and that Sheila’s considerable talents lay in other areas. What occurs, in fact, is that Kevin feels much less comfortable after she shares this information, given that he’s not sure he can do the job (this information resides in Kevin’s Quad Three along with the information—or assumptions—that Kevin already holds regarding Sheila’s attitudes about her own financial incompetence).
Kevin tells Sheila that he hopes he can be helpful to her (legitimate Quad One disclosure) and that he’s “confident” he can be of assistance to Sheila with regard to financial matters (a false Quad One statement). Sheila detects the hesitation in Kevin’s voice (leakage of Kevin’s Quad Three into his Quad One) and begins to wonder if she can trust his competency—though she does trust his intentions (enthusiastic interest in doing a good job). Sheila stores her tentative skepticism regarding Kevin’s financial competencies in her own third quadrant (hidden). Kevin is unaware of Sheila’s skepticism (Kevin’s Quad Two: Blind Self), though he does have a vague feeling of uneasiness regarding their interaction (some of Sheila’s skepticism is leaking out through her nonverbal expressions, just as some of Kevin’s self-doubt leaked out through his hesitant voice).
Potential benefit for both Sheila and Kevin (Quad Four in both of their windows) lie behind the interaction between these two people. With Sheila’s support, Kevin can learn to be a good Treasurer. Sheila can, in turn, gain some wanted assistance regarding financial matters. Sheila may even learn more about finances herself in her attempt to assist Kevin—thus making her less dependent in the future on Board Treasurers (who apparently are not easy to recruit). For these potential outcomes to be realized, both Sheila and Kevin will eventually have to expand their public selves (Quad One) with regard to one another.
