Undivided attention is so rare now that I've had people get a little squirmy because they're not used to someone paying attention to them—and only them — or ask me if something was wrong because I was not constantly overtalking them. That said, I can overtalk with the best of them (professionally trained over 15 years with my husband, a loquacious east coaster)! However, there's a time and a place for that and then there's a time and a place to just create space for the other person to express themself. Nowhere is this more important than collaborating with a thought leader as they are often baking out their ideas in real time. Still, it's not enough just to pay attention. Non verbal communications are key here, i.e., maintaining a neutral facial expression and an open, non-judgemental vibe — something you do exquisitely, Scott!
Undivided attention is so rare now that I've had people get a little squirmy because they're not used to someone paying attention to them—and only them — or ask me if something was wrong because I was not constantly overtalking them. That said, I can overtalk with the best of them (professionally trained over 15 years with my husband, a loquacious east coaster)! However, there's a time and a place for that and then there's a time and a place to just create space for the other person to express themself. Nowhere is this more important than collaborating with a thought leader as they are often baking out their ideas in real time. Still, it's not enough just to pay attention. Non verbal communications are key here, i.e., maintaining a neutral facial expression and an open, non-judgemental vibe — something you do exquisitely, Scott!
This was a beautifully-written post! And so true!!