Finding more time in the day and getting organised are some of the key issues for many of our clients. This post builds on Part 1 and offer some tips and ideas to help you.
Big impact, small effort; the 4 minute story
To increase your impact and your effectiveness consider this way to spend your time.
Take time to really listen not just hear what people are saying to you. Ask questions that show you are interested in them. Remember small details that demonstrate that interest and refer to them.
Rather than consider this as small talk think of it as building rapport. This is a key ingredient of building relationships and trust and sustaining them.
If you are interested in this, look at Daniel Goleman’s work on Emotional Intelligence.
To make this work even better follow the advice of Steven McDermott, a motivational speaker. Imagine you are travelling to a place; it could be driving into work, driving home, going to attend an important meeting, interview etc. Imagine 10 minutes before you arrive at your destination that you are going to be the best you can be. The best boss, the best manager, the best husband, the best Dad, the best candidate.
Now you only have to sustain being your best for 4 minutes.
When you arrive you make a big impression, you are in a good mood, you smile, and you interact in a really positive way. Now the person you are with tunes into this and reacts back in a positive way too and so you create a positive feedback loop and you don’t really need to try so hard. The 4 minutes increases to 10 minutes without thinking.
This really works.
How about that as a good investment of time? To improve the mood of those around you and make you feel good and create better relationships.
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