Noticing.
A
skill. A gift. A necessity.
Without
it, you dis-engage, you dis-connect.
Without
it, you easily disagree, disappoint.
A vast
amount of business is conducted (and ruined) in the absence of really noticing.
Too many interactions in the workplace (and elsewhere) are starved of full
attention, of genuine interest, and of open-minded and focused curiosity.
What
it takes to really notice?
Your
willingness to work hard on staying in the here-and-now, with awareness of
yourself, of the other person, and of what happens in the interaction.
Your
skillfulness to pay attention to details and the mundane as well as to the
special and the big.
Your
keenness to open yourself up so you can sense, wonder, and listen without
having to worry about image, heroism, selling, scoring.
Your
readiness to welcome candor and directness.
Your
eagerness to set aside the many distractions that viciously fight for your
attention.
Your
adeptness to deal with the unexpected and with what might be uncomfortable.
Noticing: A
mindset. A process. A joy. An absolute necessity!
