Productivity Hacks: Good, Old-fashioned Conversation
T. Boone Pickens
Memorial account for T. Boone Pickens, 1928-2019. This account is now being maintained by TBP Foundation team members.
This post is part of a series in which LinkedIn Influencers share their secrets to being more productive. See all their #productivityhacks here.
Want to work smarter in 2014? Try talking to people. Not tweeting them or texting them but good, old-fashioned conversation.
Talking generates ideas, and it makes companies – and individuals – grow. Our public affairs director, Jay Rosser, tells me I would have been a good reporter. I work a beat constantly. I like to walk into people’s offices and hear what they’ve got to say. I want to know what my people are hearing, reading, and thinking. If they aren’t talking to me, I’ll reach out and ask them. And they know that I listen.
As anyone on my team can tell you, my most famous line in the office is, “Have you got anything?” I’m always available, in the office or by phone, and that makes it easy for everyone to talk to me. That even applies when I’m traveling. I’ll call back to the office and check in to see what is going on.
At BP Capital, ours is a confident and cohesive group. People are not shy about expressing opinions. That’s right – we talk to one another. We all get into the office early. We usually eat breakfast together. We always have lunch together, too. At least once a month, we have dinner together. We have our daily Investment Committee Meetings in our conference room sometimes two or three hours a day. We meet again after the close of the markets each day from four until around six o’clock. This sounds like an awful lot of meetings, but we work well together and exchange a lot of information.
One other thing: we enjoy being with each other. All of this reinforces our strengths. Although our goal is to reach an agreement among the group, I’m the decision-maker, if I have to be. More often than not, I don’t have to be.
Photo: tmfotki / Flickr
30-yrs Experienced Global Sales Executive | RN Turned Entrepreneur | SEMI FA Community Advocate
10 年I guess afterall, we all like the "old fashion way" of communication - F2F. The non verbal communication during F2F meeting is priceless.
Owner and Asset Manager at uThrive Asset Development, LLC
10 年I have been hitting the streets in 2014 and has gotten me farther than any tweet ever has and makes me feel happier than drowning at some computer.
Laboratory Operator 1
10 年Mary-Lynne Gillespie, citizen of North America No one special I am one of the patient canadians that T Boone talkes about. I am not important, I have only influence over my own life and am responsible for what I do, good or not so good and as a consumer I make my choice with the dollars I earn. I really like what T Boone has to say on a number of topics; he makes so much sense. In terms of NG whoopee! We need to make a committment to a cleaner world for our children and the rest of the world as it tries to keep step with improvements in the developed world. HIs dedicated effort makes me hopeful that not all those who wield power in our world are solely profit driven and corruptible.Too often, and even here in Canada, there are some who willfully ignore or suppress knowledge that would better our world in favor of short term profit and the continuence of their hold on power.I agree that LNG is a bridge product to another even more clean and sustainable fuel source. I just hope the ecosystems, global and local, can outwait our stubborness and greed. I look forward to more from T Bone Pickens.
Director of Operations
10 年Face-2-Face communications; Management by walking around; Seeing things for yourself; Cutting out the middle filters: can't beat it - old school style that NEVER fails.
FormerThree-time Business Value Award Winner at Prudential
10 年It's great (and productive) when you enjoy being with your team members.