Taking It To The Next Level
Claim Your Attitude and Lead With It
by Chrys Olson on 04/27/14
What gets you up and out the door in the mornings? Do you drag yourself out because you wouldn’t have a bed
to roll out of if you didn’t have a paycheck?
Or, is a cup of coffee and a shower enough fuel so you can greet the day
with great expectations?
I like to start early.
Most mornings, I am treated to a breathtaking Colorado sunrise that
actually does turn the Rocky Mountains purple as I drive west towards my
workplace. That takes a lot of the sting
out of my morning commute. It also gives
me a half hour to loosen up my facial muscles and replace my yawning appearance
with a smiling one. I have a lot of
responsibilities as a manager but none more
important than what I try to do every morning – set the tone for the day!
If I have a bad day, my department gets silent and my
staff avoids interacting with me. I used
to wonder how they knew because I never yelled at anyone. In fact, the grumpier I felt, the more I
tried to be polite and courteous. I even
smiled – one of those fake ones that never work in a photograph – but a smile,
none the less. Still, everyone avoided
me and there was an underlying tension in the department all day. So, I asked them how they manage to read my
moods so well. It turns out that I am an
easily readable person.
When my smile is genuine, it is accompanied by a quicker
step, better posture, and the tendency to visit a little beyond “Good
Morning”. I learned that, if I want to
set a good tone for the day, I need to be genuine. This is where the early morning commute and
the Colorado sunrise come in.
It may seem like a tired cliché but you truly can choose
your attitude. That’s good for all of us
but if you’re the boss, it’s also your job.
You’ll still be over-worked but
you’ll no longer be grumpy about it.
You’ll still be tired but you won’t whine about it. Yes, your feet will still hurt but you won’t
focus on them. Enjoy your own sunrise
and claim a good attitude before you walk in to greet your team.
Learn to listen like a dog....
by Chrys Olson on 03/03/13
NOTE: This blog was first published on the Institute for Financial Operations website in January, 2012.
I just had the most delightful conversation…..with my dog. Actually, it started with Cooper thinking I needed to be playing with him instead of sitting at my laptop. He brought me toys that squeak and toys that squawk. He pulled on my socks and even gave me a little bark in frustration. I finally turned to him and started to explain that I had to write my blog and I needed some quiet time. As I talked, he just sat down and listened. He gave me his full attention. He watched my face. He cocked his head to the left and then to the right. Not once did he interrupt. It was obvious that he was hanging on my every word even as he had no idea what I was saying.
An old Zen proverb says, “When walking, walk. When eating, eat.” In other words, give your full attention to what you are doing. The goal of good listening should be simply to listen -- nothing more and nothing less.
Research has found that we hear about 3 or 4 times faster than we can talk. It’s no wonder our minds often run ahead of what is being said to us. We are preparing our response before the speaker has finished talking. Sometimes we finish sentences for people. There’s no way we can really be listening. This is a hard thing to overcome but here’s another thing I learned from my dog and it just might work. When I stopped talking, it took Cooper a few seconds to decide the conversation was over. He waited to make sure I didn’t have more to say and then he turned and walked away. What if we just make ourselves wait for a few seconds after the other person stops talking before we respond? If nothing else, that would keep us from interrupting. Of course, we would then run the risk that the other person would never stop talking. That makes me think of Aunt Rose but I’m sure she’s an exception. Most people do run down eventually.
I’ve always felt pleased when someone chose me to talk to. After all, they could be off talking to someone else and I could be left out. I know Cooper was pleased that I chose to talk to him. I thought he was determined that I needed to come and play with him but all he really wanted was my attention.
Take a lesson from Cooper and be an exceptional listener.
Thanks for visiting my blog and for listening.