THE RIGHT WORDS AT THE RIGHT TIME
Melinda Marcus, M.A., CSP
Shows leaders how to read Body Language and Influence Decisions? Speaks and Consults on how to win new clients, career opportunities and support of stakeholders ? Author of "Read The Zoom"
Think of a pivotal moment in your life when someone listened and shared something with you that significantly influenced your life. That’s what happened to 20-year-old Abbie Rutledge when she was stopped for speeding by Alabama State Trooper J.T. Brown two years ago.
Abbie told J.T. that she didn’t have the money to pay the ticket because she was stuck in a dead-end job. Instead of writing out the ticket, he said, "Why don't we talk about it." He cared enough to listen to her career frustrations and her dreams. After a 15-minute conversation, he gave her a hand-written “citation” that stated if she promised to go to nursing or scrub school, her speeding penalty would be $0.00.
This year, Abbie surprised J.T. by inviting him to her graduation. She earned her Surgical Technician degree and loves her new job at the hospital. What’s more, she showed him the original citation, which she had kept as inspiration to follow her dream. J.T. was shocked that his traffic stop conversation had so much impact.
Have you ever discovered later that your words influenced someone’s life or career more than you imagined? Or, do you have a “right words at the right time” story where someone was a major influence for you?
#Influence #MelindaMarcus #Mentor #Communications #ExecutiveCoaching #Leadership #Inspiration #CareerCoaching #ListeningSkills #Empathy
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Strategic Marketing Leader | Partner Growth & Channel Development Results-driven marketing professional with extensive experience in building high-performing partner ecosystems for Fortune 100 companies and tech leaders.
6 个月Good insight
CEO RapidProDev | Olympian | NY Times bestselling author The Age of Speed | Hall of Fame speaker | DIY Nerd | “Let’s go full speed ahead as we do what the competition is not willing to do."
6 个月Officer JT Brown had the gift of knowing the impact his words and actions had on another random person. What a wonderful gift and a great story.
Combining the art of the possible with the art of the feasible. Navigating ambiguous human preferences and synthesizing disparate information.
6 个月It's critical to use your words and empathy to conenct. You can take the opportunity to give someone just enough of a nudge to get them in a better place.
Melinda Marcus, M.A., CSP you have helped me change my perspective. When we discussed that not everyone likes negotiation, you came up with the term negoti-haters. People resonate with that characterization.