Ask, Don't Tell
I am Amanda West. I, too, have a telling habit. Do you have a telling habit as well? Join my dear friend, Katie Anderson, and me in taking the first step which is acknowledging and naming it in order to learn, grow, and be better.?
In the recent "Ask me Anything" Chain of Learning episode and the “BREAK THE TELLING HABIT” Katie reminded me of the need to ask before telling. Painfully, I can think of a specific example where Katie was looking for a friend to ask questions and listen, but I instead offered networking advice and “questions” that weren’t open ended.?
There are innumerable reasons I can come up with for why I’ve been telling instead of asking: well-meaning advice, my expertise/years of experience, and the need to move quickly. I realize that those may not always be valid. For those of you who have experienced me telling, please accept my apologies. For those of you I currently get to interact with, I’m committing to you that I will be working on it and welcome your flag when I’m “telling” too much.
I am committed to learning how to ask before telling or answering questions and avoiding asking too many questions.? I’m going into a week of meetings with partners and teammates next week. This will be a great opportunity to continue to work on asking. Welcome any thoughts from others on how they have “broken the telling habit!”
Great perspective. Breaking habits is key to fostering open dialogue. What strategies have you found effective in this process?
? Empowering Leaders to Build High-Performing Cultures | Katalyst? for Leadership Excellence |??? Chain of Learning? Podcast | ?? Keynote Speaker | ?? Award-Winning Author | Non-Profit Board Chair | Learning Enthusiast?
2 个月Thank you for joining me in admitting that you have a telling habit Amanda! As humans we want to help others - to solve problems, fix the situaron, get to the answer - and we default to telling, advocating, suggesting. And in most cases this has the opposite impact than we want. When I realized how deep my telling habit was over a decade ago I was horrified - but by recognizing it and putting intention towards slowing down, asking more questions, and giving space for others to think, I’ve seen an incredible shift in my professional and personal relationships. I’m on a mission now to help others “Break the Telling Habit? too. Thank you for naming your habit and sharing my podcast episodes! ??