Great Habits – What are you queuing for?

Great Habit 1

What are you doing to stay focused on what the other person is saying in a conversation?

Everyone has that moment when they realise that the person opposite is waiting for their response but you have no idea what the question was! With friends you can get away with it, with strangers you will probably feel a bit embarrassed and move on, but at work, this can cause real issues. In a meeting if you have tuned out or you realise you are still thinking about the previous agenda point then you are instantly on the back foot. Being aware of the issue is the first step! Start to reflect on when it happens, is there a trigger? Test out different strategies and give yourself some feedback after the meeting/event on how well it worked. there is no miracle here, it is all about practice and awareness. Give it a go!

Great Habit 2

When you find yourself queuing, are you actively putting your own thoughts to one side to tune into the other person?

We live in a world where it is not uncommon for someone to be on their phone and watching TV at the same time. We get used to multitasking but in reality we are not focusing on either tasks, This is true of conversations as well – by focusing on what is being said by the other person you are giving yourself the best chance of understanding and reacting appropriately to the situation.