Be Present With Your Project Team

Being Present with Your Project Team

One of the most challenging parts of communicating with others is truly being present. When we are present, we are listening to everything the other person is saying with our ears and our eyes. This means not only do we listen, but we watch how they communicate. We observe their eyes, their gestures and their body language. We listen for how the person states what they are saying. Do they sound confident? Do they have energy in their voice? Do they sound tired? Do they sound excited? Do they sound bored? What are you picking up in the conversation you are having with your team mate? In order to listen for all these things, we must concentrate on the person we are communicating with instead of on ourselves. We need to avoid thinking about our next comment or if we will sand stop thinking about whether we will sound smart in the conversation. We need to just focus on listening. After hearing and seeing what has been said, we can respond and ask questions for clarification. To truly listen, we must focus on the other person and trust that when we speak, the appropriate comment will come from our mouth. Very few people have great listening skills. If you can develop these skills (and a few others), you will go far in your career and you will get yourself promoted!