Are we living in I-centric times?

The train has trundled into the station. Passengers jostle their way into the various compartments. In the second AC sleeper, a middle aged woman drags her luggage. She looks haggard and tired. She eyes the twenty something young man, who is seated by the window and asks him if he would be willing to exchange his lower berth with her upper one. The young man, with his eyes still glued to his smart phone, waves his hand in a gesture of dismissal and continues to text.

Now imagine this:

The young man looks up at the lady, smiles at her, leaps on to the upper berth and gives her a thumb up a sign from above.

In both the case, the journey continues. But the experiences are different.

Many a time, etiquette or courtesy is what distinguishes a happy business from an angst ridden one.

Groval Euler’s Consulting | Bangalore -560102, Phone: + 91-9663742007

Understanding Business Values

Listening

Listening is a powerful tool of communication.

A wise old owl lived in an oak,

The more she saw the less she spoke

The less she spoke the more she heard.

Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?

Yes, why can’t we all be like the wise old bird?

In the corporate scenario, what distinguishes the wise old birds from the rest of the flock?

The wise old birds listen. They listen to the said and unsaid. To the pauses that ensue. To the questions that are asked. To the questions that are left hanging.

They recognize that:

• Success comes with active listening.
• Inputs from listening are vital for both business and personal successes.
• Listening permits an open flow of information.
• Listening adds value other people’s opinions. Appreciation “It’s an old maxim in the schools that flattery’s the food of fools Yet now and then you men of wit will condescend to take a bit.”

—Jonathan Swift