Today’s listening tip: When time is limited, make sure to keep your stories focused and allow a friend time to share his/her story too. 6-16-15
We all like to “show and tell” but time forces us to have boundaries. And, when you take someone else’s time into account, you are showing him/her the ultimate respect. This holds true at work and at home. How often do you sit through a meeting that goes way over the originally allotted time period? More often than not, this is due to someone not respecting the time consideration of others.
The way to best do this, both at home and at work, is to prioritize what needs to be discussed, shared and/or worked on and get to it first. Saving the most important items/stories for last is a guaranteed time-drain and a surefire way to let someone know that you haven’t respected their time. There is no crime in being efficient and ending a meeting early — sometimes this allows for non-priority but real interesting stories to be shared. Respect someone else’s time today and feel his/her gratitude.