Say “Yes, If …” Instead of “No, Because …”
When people ask for assistance, resources, or information, our response often reveals our attitude. Especially telling is when we respond without thought.
Relationships and Marriage
Dealing with Hands-Off Managers
While independence is a strong desire for most people, it has downsides. In the workplace, you miss out on collaboration, learning, exhortation, encouragement, and accountability. You miss out on the help and advocacy that engaged bosses can provide.
Dealing with Micromanagers
In their defense, they are often smart and experienced. They know a lot about what works and what doesn’t. But how much joy is it to always be told what to do? How demotivating is it to rarely use your own ideas or perform tasks the way you would like to do them?
The Problem with Shallow Conversations
Decide to move past talking about what people are “doing” and talk about what people are “thinking and feeling.” Embrace the mindset that moves from asking “what are you working on?” to “how do you feel about what you are working on?”
Does Efficiency Apply to Communication?
If you or others in your circle of influence think efficiency is paramount, consider that being too efficient in communication can waste more time than it saves. Not providing enough detail or assuming people need to only hear something once often leads to misunderstandings.
