geek2geek

This tip comes by way of Andy Lester. He pointed out a blog about the book “Brazen Careerist“. From what I’ve read so far, it is most brazenly careerist in a sort of greasy saleman sort of way, but Andy found one bit particularly useful. It’s a social exercise.

Count how many times you interrupt someone.

If you ask a sales guy why they are good at sales, they always say they are good listeners. And then, in fact, they display those skills during the flight.

I am not a good listener. I spend the flight hearing myself interrupt. Constantly.

It sounds like a moment that is bad for my emotional intelligence work, but really, it’s good. It’s good because it allows me to go to the next step, which is asking myself why I am so reluctant to wait to hear what someone has to say. That’s where I am now - asking myself that.

People say I’m a good listener. Sometimes I am, sometimes I’m not. I’ve caught myself constantly interrupting someone, especially in a heated technical conversation. Even when I realize what I’m doing I’m strangely compelled to continue. Part of it is being caught up in the heat of the argument (note, not discussion, argument) and wanting to pick at any point of weakness. Part is that engineer’s mentality to want to correct people before they waste any more time doing it the wrong way, even to the point of talking about it.

If I could just interrupt for a moment… *more*