Listen
One of the greatest gifts you can give someone is to listen. To really listen.
Whether its one of your employees, a customer, or a loved one, listening with intent, with purpose delivers the message that you care, that at that moment nothing else matters; that at that moment, you are not distracted by anything else.
And lets face it, most often when we are listening, we are distracted by something else. We don't do it on purpose, but we do it. Our mind is racing, we are distracted by our smartphone, and...let's be honest... we think we are such good multi-taskers that we think we are getting away with it.
We aren't getting away with it. People notice. People care. people are offended. Because when we don't listen, when we don't focus, we are sending the message that it's not important enough to really drop everything else.
So when someone you value comes in to talk to you:
1)Tell yourself " I will focus and listen intently."
2)turn your computer screen away, put the blackberry away, be mindful not to look at your watch. And don't answer the telephone!
3)Sit up. Look them in the eye and let them know by your body-language that you are there for them. Them only.
Really Listen.
Whether its one of your employees, a customer, or a loved one, listening with intent, with purpose delivers the message that you care, that at that moment nothing else matters; that at that moment, you are not distracted by anything else.
And lets face it, most often when we are listening, we are distracted by something else. We don't do it on purpose, but we do it. Our mind is racing, we are distracted by our smartphone, and...let's be honest... we think we are such good multi-taskers that we think we are getting away with it.
We aren't getting away with it. People notice. People care. people are offended. Because when we don't listen, when we don't focus, we are sending the message that it's not important enough to really drop everything else.
So when someone you value comes in to talk to you:
1)Tell yourself " I will focus and listen intently."
2)turn your computer screen away, put the blackberry away, be mindful not to look at your watch. And don't answer the telephone!
3)Sit up. Look them in the eye and let them know by your body-language that you are there for them. Them only.
Really Listen.
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