Change 1 Answer and you can change it all

Are you one of the folks who always have an idea or an answer when a question is posed? If you’re quick to offer your ideas, and they’re at all relevant, others won’t bother to offer theirs. They’ll just think to themselves “That’s good enough. Let’s get the meeting over and get back to work.”

Here’s a trick that’s quick to learn and easy to use to slow yourself down and put yourself in ‘listening’ mode so that all the intelligence around that table can participate.

Sit on the hand you normally write with
and hold a pen on the table top in the other hand.

It sounds awkward but in fact is easy and looks ‘normal’ to others around the table. Your mind becomes short-wired, distracted and stays alert to the reason you’re doing it. You’ll be able to easily listen to the discussion and give others a chance to get their ideas on the table. As your hand plays with the pen, you’ll find it simple to wait through the discussion to see if you’d like to add anything. And what you add will always be relevant and useful and better than ‘good enough!’

July 23, 2007 | Filed Under Inspiration 

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