[ Explore these simple tips to maximize your business performance ]
Goal setting is common place in high performance work environments. What is not common place is working to ensure that each person contributing to the meeting of the goal is enrolled in the goal. Imagine someone saying to you - "Here is our goal, now work really hard to meet it by the deadline and make sure you do high quality work." And, now imagine you were totally uninspired by the goal. What would your quality and speed of work be like? Pretty low right? So imagine you create this new set of shiny goals for the coming quarter - and you are totally excited to share it with the managers and employees. You give them the goals - GIVE them the goals, without checking in to see if they are enrolled in the fulfillment of them. Big mistake, because those that are not enrolled are going to be pushing a rock up a very long hill to meet the goal. So the key is to ensure that all participants on a project are enrolled in producing the result. This can be done by simply "reframing" the goal in a way the speaks to the employees' interests. Try checking in next time you set a goal to see if all the participants are enrolled. And if not, practice reframing the goal until each participant is enrolled.
"Ask yourself - Is there anything I am doing right now, that - knowing what I now know, I would not get into again if I were starting again today. If the answer is yes - ask yourself 'how do I get out out of this situation, and how fast.'" - From Focal Point by Brian Tracy (in Philosopher's Notes). So, how about it? Is there anything you are doing right now, that knowing what you know now, that if you were starting again today, you would not get into? It takes consciousness to look for these things. Courage to acknowledge them. And commitment to act upon and shift them so you stop "getting into it" as soon as possible. Try it out. Find one thing that you know you should not be getting into, and shift out of doing that as fast as you can.
More often than not, when we are listening to someone talk, we are nodding our head, making judgements and assessments about what they are saying, figuring out what we are going to say in response. Essentially, when we are listening, we are usually waiting for the other person to STOP TALKING so we can chime in. All the while, pretending that we are totally present and listening - really listening. Take on practicing listening. When you are in a conversation with someone at work, practice letting go of the "inner dialog" (the conversation going on in your own head) as you are listening to the other person. Keep bringing your undivided attention back to the person that is talking. When they are finished talking - ask them "Is there anything else that you would like to tell me about that...?" They will most likely fall on the floor (get the paramedics ready) because no one ever asks people if they have more to say before they chime in. When they are finished talking, practice saying something like, "Let me make sure I heard you correctly... What you said is... Is that right?" This is called 'recreating.' You are recreating what they said. This in of itself is an amazing practice (more on this later). With this Powerful Listening Technique, people will feel heard and understood by you (one of the greatest gifts you can give them). This ultimately paves the way for a more powerful, effective working relationship. Try it out!
More often than not, when we are listening to someone talk, we are nodding our head, making judgements and assessments about what they are saying, figuring out what we are going to say in response. Essentially, when we are listening, we are usually waiting for the other person to STOP TALKING so we can chime in. All the while, pretending that we are totally present and listening - really listening. Take on practicing listening. When you are in a conversation with someone at work, practice letting go of the "inner dialog" (the conversation going on in your own head) as you are listening to the other person. Keep bringing your undivided attention back to the person that is talking. When they are finished talking - ask them "Is there anything else that you would like to tell me about that...?" They will most likely fall on the floor (get the paramedics ready) because no one ever asks people if they have more to say before they chime in. When they are finished talking, practice saying something like, "Let me make sure I heard you correctly... What you said is... Is that right?" This is called 'recreating.' You are recreating what they said. This in of itself is an amazing practice (more on this later). With this Powerful Listening Technique, people will feel heard and understood by you (one of the greatest gifts you can give them). This ultimately paves the way for a more powerful, effective working relationship. Try it out!
This skill of "listening, so someone feels gotten..." is something you can practice with co-workers, even with your wife. All you have to do is just listen... simple, but not easy! To practice, listen to someone. Notice your desire to react to what they are saying - to agree, to disagree, to want to sympathize with, to laugh about, to get upset by. Practice listening and not reacting, but simply being a set of ears for what they are saying to fall into. This does not mean be a zombie with a stone face. Just be there present, with your heart, and listen. Remember you are simply providing them the ability to hear themselves - to get all that junk that is clogged up out so it can be observed and dealt with. If you have something to share about what they are saying, practice waiting until they are really done saying what they wanted to say. You may even ask "Is there anything else you would like to say?" Then once they are really done getting it all out - you can ask "May I share something I see...?" By asking for their permission - they are able to hear what you have to say, rather than it feeling imposed up on them.
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