Many of us in our professional lives will get to a point where we have a lot of experience. We have done the job for a while, we know the products, we know the stakeholders, we know what our clients or customers want or don’t want. Experience matters, a lot.
And when we accumulate significant experience we may get to a point where we can almost anticipate the questions our stakeholders will ask or the comments they will make. When we can start to anticipate the questions and comments, that can be a massive competitive advantage, because it means we have a deep knowledge of what really matters to the people around us.
But (this paragraph was destined to start with a “but”), we have to make sure that our ability to anticipate what is about to be said or asked does not give the impression that we aren’t listening. If we correctly anticipate the next question, and we signal that we knew what was about to be said by speaking over the person asking the question, we may transmit something other than “this person is really experienced.” We may instead transmit that we aren’t really listening, or that we aren’t giving space for someone else to speak, or that we are a “know it all.” And those things are never good for anyone in a relationship role.
Experience matters. The ability to correctly anticipate what will come next in the conversation can be a powerful skill. It… can be. But we cannot let that sixth sense get in the way of our curiosity. Because even though we know a lot, we can almost always learn something we didn’t know. And at a minimum there is great value in listening, and showing people that you are listening.
Knowing what is coming next is powerful. But don’t let it get in the way of your empathy, respect and patience. Let people speak, even if you know what they are about to say. Letting people be heard is essential to anyone in a relationship role.
Stay curious.
Have a great day.
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Does your team:
– Overwhelm the audience with too much detail?
– Make things too complicated?
– Fail to ask for what they want or need?
Does your organization:
– Waste time because of poor internal communication?
– Take too long to make decisions?
– Struggle to clarify and frame discussions?
Do your leaders:
– Exhibit poor executive presence?
– Lean on incomplete communication skills?
– Fail to align the organization?
We transform teams and individuals with repeatable toolsets for persuasive communication. Explore training, coaching, and consulting services from The Latimer Group.
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