This weekend, Mark Beeson read "A Letter to the President" on the eve of President Obama arriving on campus at Notre Dame amidst all the hub-bub... If you get a chance... view it here on/before May 24th.
A simple takaway... when talking to your team, employee, spouse, kids... stop and T.H.I.N.K.
- Is it True?
- Is it Helpful?
- Is it Important?
- Is it Necessary?
- Is it Kind?
The right thing said the right way at the right time has a chance of connecting... otherwise, we can expect to swing and miss. At the end of the day, we all have people in our lives we would like to influence. How can we connect/influence?
- Encouragers are influencers. Who do you like being around? People who beat you over the head or those who call out the best in you?
- Integrity Matters. Having principles that guide your discussions and actions allow you to be consistent and trustworthy to those values. Wild cards, hot heads, and unpredictability don't make it to many circles of trust.
- Work for Other's Success. Sure...this goes against the crowd, however... when people know you're "for" them and celebrate their success... they may listen to constructive feedback.
- Apologize when you're wrong or screw-up.
- Keep Casting. You're not in control of other people. They may not respond the way you want, expect, or not at all. Keep casting your net... sometimes you end up connecting with an unexpected audience. Perhaps, that's where you should have been all along.
"We all will have an opportunity to speak Truth to those in power..."- Mark Beeson 5/17/09
The question is.... will we connect?
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