You cannot be what you cannot see

"You cannot be what you cannot see"

In workplace situations, that is often used in the context of people being able to choose careers from a wider choice (which I touched on here). 

However,  being at a time of reflection in my life, and having also seen several TV ad campaigns emphasising the fact that parents may model undesirable behaviour (including drunkenness and violence) to their children, "you cannot be what you cannot see" also applies to positives - such as good management, and low stress environments. 

When I was a young engineer in Qld in the late 70s/early 80s and Vic in the mid-late 80s and early 90s, what was modelled for me was being overloaded, stressed, and snarky. 

I dealt with a lot of the bad modelling through my personal growth work outside of engineering, but that left me with a deficit of modelled good management. 

More than three decades later, I am blessed to have seen examples of good management - and that is getting closer to being the norm, although, with less than a year of engineering work life left, I won't see that (although it is the norm in better, more progressive companies). 

Anyway, it has been a particular realisation for me: 

"You cannot be what you cannot see" applies to seeing positive workplace behaviour as well as career choices and avoiding harmful behaviour.