Spending time with people one to one is invaluable. Why? I'll tell you. One to one time may seem an inefficient use of time - after all, if you can spent group time, you can touch far more people. Right? Well, of course that's right. There comes a time when one to one time is much more valuable. With groups, the time you spend is spread thinly and the time you have to form strong relationships is minimal (though not impossible, even in that sort of setting - maybe I can return to that sometime soon!). One to one time honours the person you generously give your time to. It gives them the space to get used to you and get more comfortable with being upfront and honest. They can provide the feedback you need to move forward. They can talk to you, rather than be talked at. Of course this means that you have to stimulate the conversation genuinely with those great 'open' question words. Asking the 'What', 'How', 'When', 'Where', 'Who' and 'Why' questions get people talking. Your listening, gives them the space to share what's on their mind and more. It helps them dig deep and share what they are feeling - more, what they need from you to do a great job. One to one time enables that. Giving of your time, in this way, truly reaps reward for the investment you make. For 21 tips to get the best from your one to one conversations, coming up this weekend, just sign up for the newsletter by August 29th, 2006! For those of you who already are signed up - you'll get it on Monday, as usual! |
