Category: Uncategorized
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THE POWER OF THE PAUSE
It is the call the parent of a teenager dreads. The policeman phoned at 2:30 A.M. to tell this single mother that her daughter is at the police station. She had been picked up in the wake of a wild party. Relieved that her daughter was not hurt, the mother’s attention quickly turned to disappointment…
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COMMUNICATE MINDFULLY
“After all we go through. we are asked to lead a life of honest expression, which starts with listening as a way to remember what matters, to name what matters, and to voice what matters. These are the practices that keep us authentic.” ~ Mark Nepo, Seven Thousand Ways to Listen. In our warped speed…
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GIVE THE GIFT OF ATTENTION
It’s estimated that only 34% of people are fully attentive to a conversation. That means that nearly 7 out of 10 people that you communicate with are not with you. The wise essayist La Rochefoucauld observed, “The reason why so few people are agreeable in conversation is that each is thinking more about what he…
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ONE WORD
On a 1 – 10 scale with 10 be the highest, what score would you give yourself in terms of results on your goals so far this year? Are you on track with your goals? Have other things gotten in the way? Have you already abandoned your goals? If your score is less than 9,…
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FOLLOW UP AND GROW
Leaders who ask for input and then follow up to see if progress is being made are seen as people who care. Co-workers might well infer that leaders who don’t respond to feedback must not care very much. Historically, a great deal of leadership development has focused on the importance of an event. This event…
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WAITING IN LINE
When you listen you reach into dark corners and pull out your wonders. When you listen your ideas come in and out like they were waiting in line. Your ears don’t always listen, It can be your brain, your fingers, your toes. You can listen anywhere. Your mind might not want to go.…
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CLEARLY COMMUNICATE WITH LASER-SPEAK
When was the last time you facilitated a meeting and were not able to make progress because one or more participants dominated the conversation? Think about the lost time of meetings when the ‘motor mouth’ kicks in. There is a remedy…..LASER SPEAK. Laser speak is succinct, specific and efficient use of words that gets to…
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10 STEPS TO LISTEN WITH TOTAL FOCUS TO A SPEAKER
10 STEPS TO LISTEN WITH TOTAL FOCUS TO A SPEAKER 1. Pay total attention to the speaker even if you don’t agree with them or even like them. 2. When you are listening, keep your eyes on their eyes. Don’t look away unless there is a fire or you have a seriously personal emergency. 3.…
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THE TORTOISE ALWAYS WINS
Misty Haggard-Belford is a great example of a listening leader who although inundated daily with multiple messages, thoughtfully takes advantage of her thought-speed advantage while listening. Misty is a business owner and adjunct college professor and has recently been elected to the Brevard County (FL) School Board. Misty is focused, works hard, and prides…
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BETTER LISTENING = BETTER LEADING
Frances Hesselbein is one of the most highly respected experts in the field of contemporary leadership development. The former President of the Girl Scouts of America and current CEO of the Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute knows how critical listening is to leadership success. In an interview with her, she told me, “I believe it is…