What if you treated every conversation as if it were the last opportunity you had? How would you relate differently to them? How would you listen? What difference would it make in your relationships?
As I worked with a team recently about communication, I was reminded of how challenging it is to balance the demands of the day with the needs of the people in our world. In terms of communication, this can be the toughest part of our jobs.
When someone comes into your space unexpectedly and they’re looking for conversation, it’s often when you’re short on time, under deadline and juggling multiple things at once. How do you engage in a meaningful way without being abrupt and making your agenda more important than the person in front of you? What resulted from our work together was simple and valuable.
When you are fully present and engaged with people, it takes far less time than when you’re juggling, rushed or inattentive. Truly focusing on the person in front of you, FULLY attentive with no other agenda is a luxury most of us crave as it’s so rarely experienced. How much less time? It’s less than you think. Four minutes or less is typically enough. Four minutes. How much time have you wasted complaining about the person(s) who “interrupted” you on any given day? I’d guess more than four minutes.