Annoyed by purveyors of the ‘way back machine’?
I am. I shouldn’t listen to people who tout nothing but nostalgia seemingly unaware of what is happening now. But if we don’t listen, we are in danger of losing touch ourselves.
Opportunities in other people’s dilatoriness
The big question, then, is how can I listen without just being dismissive or contemptuous?
I am tidying up my blog right now and I came across this sentence in a long post.
I would look for opportunity precisely at the point we say “I’m alright Jack”.
Exactly!. If I am dismissing someone’s views for being out-of-date, then I am accusing them of being half-asleep. If I am right, their customers aren’t being looked after very well. They’re mine for the taking!
Celebrate other people’s slowness!
So I will keep listening. Every time I feel impatient and annoyed by what I consider to be uninformed and patent nonsense, I will
- jot down the thought
- think about who the person serves – who are their customers?
- think about what their customers want and need
- think about what I can deliver
- and see if there isn’t a profit in my patience!
The opportunity is where someone is saying “I am alright Jack”. That is the strategic pivot point! What fun!
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