“If we are too busy to be kind, we are too busy.” – Allan Lokos
Jesus and Barney the Dinosaur
A 4-year-old was brought to the Emergency Room with a severe cough. She kept up a non-stop conversation while the nurse was trying to assess her lung sounds.
Finally, the nurse said, “Shhh, I have to see if Barney is in there.”
The child looked at her and calmly stated, “I have Jesus in my heart. Barney’s on my underwear.”
Be Responsible for How You Speak
Consider this point of view: you are responsible not only for what you say but for how it was received. No one expects this of you, but it is high standard you can set for yourself.
Being easy to work with is part of building trust. Reflecting on these questions will help you identify where you might improve:
- What conversations do people associate with you?
- Do you lean toward speaking first or listening?
- Do people feel that you are truly interested in them?
Think about mistakes you might be making that can detract from someone’s experience of being with you, such as:
- Hijacking every conversation, having it be about you.
- Speaking more often or longer than people can tolerate.
- Making negative comments about someone who is not present.
The goal is to speak and listen in a way that has people looking forward to spending time with you, in a way that leads to trust and respect.
– Paul Axwell
Just One Copy
A young executive was leaving the office late one evening when he found the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand.
“Listen,” said the CEO, “this is a very sensitive and important document here, and my secretary has gone for the night. Can you make this thing work?”
“Certainly,” said the young executive.
He turned the machine on, inserted the paper, and pressed the start button.
“Excellent, excellent!” said the CEO as his paper disappeared inside the machine. “I just need one copy.”