The Problem: Too much “blah, blah, blah”…
Far too often in meetings and conversations there is too much talking. Words spoken without much thought and sometimes, without much meaning. All too often it means that those we should be hearing from, those with something we need to hear, are silent. At a personal level, if we are one of those who speak more, our speaking means we may be missing out on important feedback or reading the conversation because we are too invested in it to really hear what is going on. It might be that because of conversational dominance we are guilty of hearing without listening and seeing without observing.
The Solution:
Practice the Will Rogers maxim: Never miss a good opportunity to shut up.
Try this just for two full days and see what happens. Practice it in meetings and conversations, at the office and at home. See how others react, those who might notice something ‘different’ about you and most importantly, what you notice as result of doing it! You might well discover a whole ‘new world’ that was there all along but one you simply weren’t aware of and the insights gleaned from this awareness might lead to something significant.
This might be something you need to try or perhaps it is something you can suggest to someone on your team who might be open to the suggestion and would benefit from practicing the Will Rogers maxim (because they need to!).
It promises to be a step forward in the growth of emotional intelligence.
Will Rogers (1879 – 1935) was an American cowboy, vaudeville performer, humourist, journalist, social commentator and actor.