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Are you a stand-up chameleon?

Rosanna Machado • Oct 08, 2019

If I had to pick whether I am an extrovert or introvert, I’d pick extrovert. I certainly thrive in the company of others and can’t walk to the tube station without making a friend along the way! However, there are other elements of my personality that would suggest otherwise. I’m very law-abiding and rules driven, I still have a fear of throwing myself into physical sport and I do find that most work problems and proposals are better solved when I have thinking time on my own.



Whilst it is great to know your traits, we all have a bit of everything in us. The skill is in how well we can self-monitor and adapt our behaviour to the situations we are in. I loved hearing this described as being a stand-up chameleon! But how do you stay authentic and true to yourself if you are constantly adapting your behaviour?


  • Be clear on what your values are and keep these in mind when choosing your reaction to a situation. One of mine is respect and one way of showing this is using empathy to understand others and adapt so that I am mindful of their style
  • Accept people for who they are and appreciate the strengths that they bring to the relationship. I used to get annoyed that I was often the one organising social events amongst friends when in fact I love doing it and find it far less stressful than some of my more introverted friends, so why not embrace the fact that everyone contributes in different ways based on their personality and social style
  • Follow your passions – this may often mean pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and doing something you might ordinarily find scary such as public speaking but if you are learning and pursuing your passion, isn’t that worth it?
  • Make sure you give yourself time to recharge. I am sometimes amazed that a one-hour intense new business meeting could wipe me out for the day because I have been ‘performing’. Know yourself and what you need to recharge to stay on form.


Don’t make assumptions about yourself, others and situations – these are constantly changing depending on stress levels, fatigue, the project in hand, group dynamics. Go into situations with an open mind, be mindful of others and be prepared to be a stand-up chameleon.

Are you a stand-up chameleon?

Connect with Rosie

by Rosanna Machado 06 Mar, 2024
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by Rosanna Machado 15 Feb, 2024
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by Rosanna Machado 25 Jan, 2024
One of the many things I love about swimming is it’s a leveller – you are literally stripped down, which makes it easier to connect with people. There are fewer cues about social status and usually the first connection is very much an in-the-moment shared experience of joy after swimming. Invariably that first connection leads to a wonderful conversation about the ups and downs of life – I have met some incredible people on my swimming journey, who have become lifelong friends. Interestingly what you do for a living is not the priority, in fact I have spoken to people for weeks before I discover what they do. How refreshing!! Connecting with people because of a shared moment, shared interest, shared joy, and from that strong friendships emerge. Why is the rest of life so different? When we meet people in other situations, we can feel judged by a job that isn’t good enough, not wearing the right clothes, not having the right car. So much of what we do can feel like we are performing because we feel we ought to. Social norms and living up to other people’s expectations is draining and isn’t necessarily leading us to the life we want. And we are all guilty of it – we automatically ask people what they do as it feels like an easy ice breaker. Perhaps we should replace that with, what do you love to do (cue a monologue from me on the joys of swimming!!)  So today I encourage you all to connect with people in the moment, find a shared experience, a moment of joy, suspend all judgement and know that if it’s good enough for you, then you are moving in the right direction.
by Rosanna Machado 12 Dec, 2023
Hello LinkedIn – It’s been a few months since I’ve written, and I have been asking myself why? Admittedly September, October and November have been super busy months, but how have I consistently swum four times a week throughout that period and yet I haven’t managed to write a blog a month? I’ve noticed the tension I’m feeling between just being or seeing where the world takes me versus embedding daily and weekly habits. I’m actually a fan of both, but sometimes the mix of the two tips out of balance for what I want to achieve. My swimming habit took a few years to embed – there were many mornings where I would have rather stayed in bed! And yet now I don’t regard it as a habit. I think of it as a way of being and a way of connecting with myself. I don’t have to persuade myself to go swimming as I know the outcome will be amazing. Yet this would not have occurred without me setting myself a swimming habit and finding a time of day where I could make it work with other commitments. As I transition to new things in my life like writing, I’ve realised that embedding the habit helps me to focus the mind and experiment with what does and doesn’t work for me. I am a firm believer in allowing the magic to happen but for that to occur, you do need to create the right environment, the right situations and connect with the right people. Habits help to put you in these situations. And habits can allow for flexibility and creativity – my lightbulb moment of deciding my swimming days on a weekly basis has allowed me to be spontaneous and creative and fit the swimming around this. My writing hasn’t happened because I was very kind to myself during a busy period. I write a lot about self-compassion and self-care as I think this is so important, but sometimes our busyness can become an excuse not to move forward. Sometimes it takes a bit of an extra push, embedding a new habit, forcing ourselves to focus, for the new task to find its way into your life regularly.  I’m getting back into the groove with my writing, but I know I need to prioritise it more and experiment with habits to create the right time, environment, and stimulus for me to write. I would like to embed the habit more fully until it becomes part of who I am. So what small step or habit will you take to move towards your purpose and happiness? How can you embed habits that will allow the magic to happen?
by Rosanna Machado 31 Aug, 2023
As the Summer draws to a close, I can feel the sense of busyness ramping up. When did being busy become such a badge of honour? In lockdown, with the imposed restraints, we were forced to slow down, pause and enjoy the moment more. I certainly found that without work, I was finding more moments of joy and creativity in the everyday and as a result my work and life choices changed course for the better. I was talking to someone last week about wanting to develop a few new work ideas. I could sense my frustration as I felt that I wasn’t dedicating enough time to developing the ideas. She asked me, “Have you got enough stillness in your life?” Time where you can pause, do nothing and dream. And it is in those moments that things crystallise, you get into flow and the world can take you in a weird and wonderful direction. Ironically when we want to do more, we need to slow down and give ourselves space to dream, to pause, to think. It’s the same as we try and conquer our endless to do lists – are we actually taking time to reflect on what is important and where we should put our energy?  In a world where we have so much choice and try to cram so much into our lives, are you building in your dream time? Moments to be still, at one with yourself and where you can dream without judgement. In order to keep growing and learning, we need to allow ourselves time to dream, to open ourselves up to creativity, to take risks and follow our heart. The more we connect with ourselves in that stillness, the more opportunities will come our way.
by Rosanna Machado 25 Jul, 2023
On a recent 5km swim, I noticed that I told people that I was hoping I would swim in a certain time and yet I had a higher personal goal in my own head, which I chose not to share with others. In a world where we are told to make ourselves accountable and share our goals with a buddy, I was interested to notice that I did not do this. I had lost a lot of fitness last year whilst grieving and working on a demanding job. When I shared with people that I wanted to get my fitness back, they were so kind about why I had lost my fitness, that they were almost too lenient! All I wanted was for them to support me in getting my fitness back! When people share their goals and dreams with us, are we being supportive without judgement? It is so difficult not to share our own experiences or to suggest what we think they should be doing. And yet dreams are personal and our role as a friend or mentor, is to support in whatever way is helpful. On reflection, I realise I don’t share a lot of my weekly / monthly goals with others as I like to evaluate and shape them in my own way and I am the only one that knows what else might be changing for me each month – work commitments, energy levels, other priorities. I’m not saying an accountability buddy isn’t helpful, but I think you should be clear about how your buddy can best support you – is it that you want a buddy to go for a run with, or someone to check in with you at the beginning and end of each week, or simply someone to be your weekly cheerleader. Don’t be afraid to articulate how your buddy can support you.  On the flipside, if you are supporting someone with their goals, do ask them what they need and how you can best support them. I know we all think we know best but maybe we don’t and what works for us might not be right for the other person. Listen, be supportive and approach it with an open heart.
by Rosanna Machado 22 Jun, 2023
I am about to move house after over 20 years. A couple of weeks ago, I realised how much stress it was causing me – the uncertainty, the worry that it might not happen, the enormity of a move, the emotional attachment to my house, the memories and not being able to tell my Mum about it. And yet there was a little voice saying to me, I don’t know why you are getting stressed, you have someone to help with the packing, what’s all the fuss about? We can’t help the way we feel and there is no point pushing it away or pretending it is not there as evidence suggests that the feeling will just escalate if it is not acknowledged. And of course, when I did mention it to friends, no-one was surprised that I was feeling stressed and thought it was an entirely natural feeling. Our emotions are our emotions and they are data – the most helpful thing we can do is to acknowledge how we feel Be aware of everything that is going on for you – my practical head was telling me the move was under control, but I was underestimating the emotional side Sometimes we feel bad because we know others have a lot more to contend with – it’s not a competition and all feelings are valid Show yourself compassion Often what I need is right in front of me, yet I can be reticent to ask for help. In this instance, I reached out to a friend and asked them if they could help me with the move. Of course, they didn’t hesitate, and immediately I felt a weight lifted from me. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Life is about giving and taking. Give yourself time and space to process and ensure you are getting enough nourishment in your life  Life is full of challenges and the more we get comfortable with them, the more we acknowledge the emotions and learn what we need, the more we can swim happily in those stormy waters.
by Rosanna Machado 30 May, 2023
A couple of weeks ago, I found myself in France embarking on an intense three-day swimming camp. Most of you will know about my journey with sport - it hasn’t been easy. I didn’t thrive at sport at school and thinking I am rubbish at sport is a limiting belief that I have worked on, but sometimes it still rears its ugly head. I found myself petrified about this swimming camp – worried I would look stupid, worried I wasn’t going to be able to do it and worried I was going to have to face some fears. I barely understand swimming drills in English, let alone trying to understand them in French! I have talked a lot in the past about pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, stretching yourself so that you can continue to learn and grow. But I want to talk about something else today. Whilst worrying about my swimming camp, I sat and reflected and realised that 2 years ago I wouldn’t have even contemplated signing up for something like this as I would have found it way too daunting. And yet this time, I signed up (somewhat whimsically) and despite all my fears, I knew I was going to throw myself into it. My starting point for considering the camp was so much higher than two years ago – I had progressed a lot and yet in that moment of fear, I didn’t give myself the credit I deserved. We spend a lot of time in work and life, constantly pushing ourselves and improving which is fantastic but often we don’t pause, reflect and celebrate how far we have come. So next time you conquer a fear, push yourself to do something out of your comfort zone, do take a moment:  Pause and take a breath Celebrate your achievement Tell a friend about it – someone else is far more likely to give you the kudos you deserve! Reflect on how far you have come Understand what you have learnt about yourself Rewrite your story based on the new you We can always do more, learn more, grow more but don’t forget to enjoy the journey.
by Rosanna Machado 16 May, 2023
I was listening to Susan David this week talking about handling difficult times in our lives. Something she said really resonated with me, “So much of wellbeing is not about grasping for the light, it’s about learning to see in the dark.” We spend a lot of time thinking our lives will be better once this tough week is out of the way, once we have moved house, yet our lives are constantly changing, and wouldn’t it be great to find a way to make peace with the ever-evolving journey? This week is Mental Health Awareness week and this year’s theme is anxiety. Anxiety is something we all experience yet I have been guilty in the past of not acknowledging those difficult feelings. Managing and accepting difficult emotions only came to me in 2017. Before that I thought it was better to push those emotions away and be the positive upbeat person which is the story and the role that I had created for myself. But doing that was not accepting all of me and since then I have learnt that it is far healthier to be curious about how I am feeling, be vulnerable and show myself more compassion. I thought it would be a sign of weakness to talk about when I am not ok and in fact it is the complete opposite – I build stronger connections more quickly by showing some vulnerability. Last week I was anxious about lots of things. I could tell that in the busyness of the week, I didn’t take the time I needed to really understand what was causing the anxiety and think about what would be helpful for me. The first question my friend asked when I spoke to her was, “Have you swum?” I certainly believe that being mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally fit allows me to function better in all areas of my life. It is not a luxury, it is the path to fulfilment and being effective in everything we do. So next time you are facing tough times, have a think about: Have I taken the time to sit with my emotions? Am I curious, non-judgmental and do I know what they are telling me? What will work for me in these tough times? What would be helpful? For me it is swimming, journalling, walking and chatting to friends How can I grow and learn from this experience? Don’t let self-care get neglected when you need it the most. When work gets busy, we may think it would be better to start work earlier and forego our exercise, but that exercise will probably make us twice as efficient, so it is a false economy  Life is a constantly flowing river, and we won’t ever reach a point of perfection so why don’t we learn to dance in the dark.
by Rosanna Machado 14 Apr, 2023
When I was studying for my coaching diploma, our assignment was the question, ‘Who are you and how do you coach?’ I found this a very uplifting assignment – it was an opportunity for me to explore my values, what’s important to me and how I want to live my life. When we meet people for the first time, we often open with “What do you do?” I know that this is accompanied by a genuine interest but a job is only a small part of who we are. And for those who are not working, choosing to have time out, looking for work, you can be made to feel like you are not important because you are being defined by a job alone. I have noticed in the past couple of years that I bring more of myself to everything I do. All my clients know that I swim and hear about it whether they want to or not! I chose to tell a client why I was out of the office for very personal reasons, as I wanted them to know what I needed to focus on at that moment in time. I talk about my interest in using awareness, empathy and creativity expression as this touches everything I do in my life. So when you are meeting new people, why not think about how you could engage more deeply with them. Questions might be: What are you passionate about? What makes you come alive? What’s your favourite hobby when you want to chill out? What are your values? Have you listened to any good podcasts recently? If you didn’t have to earn money, what would your dream week look like? And if that sounds too full on for an opening question, why not ask someone how they are and take a full interest in listening and supporting their response.
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