Since our first class on June 2nd, I have been attentive to practice “active listening” while at work. Although I would like to think of myself as an active listener 100% of the time, I find that I actually get distracted a lot during work and therefore I find myself trying to multitask–listening to those who have come into my office while also trying to answer an email with the phone ringing in the background. I made a conscious effort last week to stop doing whatever I was working on and listen to those who have come into my office for work-related questions. This allowed me to focus intently on their needs and most likely saved time for both of us.
Parts of the PRES model from Leadership Presence reminds me a lot of the Fish Philosophy. About eight years ago in Nottoway, we studied the Fish Philosophy with our adminsitrative team. Prinicpals took the philosophy back to their school staffs to implement. Some even took it further and implemented it in classrooms.
The Fish Philosophy (Lundin, Paul, and Christensen 2000) has four princples:
Choose Your Attitude- The choice is yours on your attitude. If you are impatient, it will show. If you love what you are doing, it will show. What attitude to you want to have?
Play- Having fun is energizing and can cause ideas to spark that otherwise would have remained hidden. How can we have “fun” while we work?
Make their Day- Including students/staff in your good time will help you make connections with them. It will keep the energy flowing. How can you “make someone’s day” each day?
Be Present- Being fully present at work eliminates distractions and helps you serve your customers (students/staff/parents) better.
Lundin, S. C., Paul, H., & Christensen, J. (2000). Fish!, a remarkable way to boost morale and improve results. Hyperion Books.
I know exactly what you are talking about. Since we did the PRES work, I have also been consciously trying to be more “in the moment.” I always think of a friend of mine who, when you ran into him, you felt like you were a long-lost friend who he was just getting to see for the first time in years. You always walked away feeling important and a little better about yourself. I want people to walk away from me feeling that way
I think it also has to do with time management and making that a priority. Like most of us, I feel like I used to be good in this area before I had as many distractions. When someone comes in my office these days, I am trying to make their time and issue more of a priority than the two things I could do while they talk. It’s a slow process that is in no way aided by the constantly-ringing phone in my office, but I am hoping that it will be like Thomas Jefferson’s points of self-improvement or the idea of creating a habit by doing it consistently for 21 days and it will eventually become second-nature again.