Popular Posts
-
One of the strongest messages we grow up with and continue to hear throughout our lives from all sources of authority is the importance of ...
-
The concept of UNCONDITIONAL LO VE seems like such an appealing and beautiful thought. We often hear spiritualists and philosop...
-
Th ough April showers may come your way, They bring the flowers that bloom in May. So, if it's raining, have no regrets ...
-
Th ough April showers may come your way, They bring the flowers that bloom in May. So, if it's raining, have no regrets Because it isn...
-
Ev-er-y-bod-y has heard the old adage..."Don't put the cart before the horse". And it makes good sense (as all cliches tend...
-
Here’s what we know: People like casinos. And in our earth density this is what our casinos are like: crowded, noisy, full of smoke and, ...
-
We often ask ourselves the question: Why can’t I make this thing happen? Perhaps it is something we want to achieve or acquire…per...
-
Earth Life is such an interesting combination of the fascinating and the mundane. And, often, we place our consciousness on those everyday...
-
The most beautiful Legacy that the Universe bestows upon me is the MAJESTY and MAGIC of the PRESENT MOMENT . ...
-
You may have heard many theories about the meaning of 11/11/11 but here's one I want to share with you. This day ...this eleve...
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Help Me Understand
I worked for many years for a wonderful boss. I loved going to work every day and that says a lot. I felt appreciated, valued and enjoyed. And I had fun. All the time. The office “crew” I worked with was composed of delightful, bright, fun-loving and creative people who embraced life with a passion. And my boss recognized, rewarded and even inspired this. One of his favorite sayings was, “What am I running here…a country club?”. And that’s exactly the kind of work atmosphere we had. Open, creative, silly, passionate, caring and, most of all, hardworking. We would do everything it took to get the job done and get it done superbly but we had so much fun it didn’t feel like work.
My boss and I gave many gifts to each other as we collaborated and negotiated our way through our work life. Whenever something urgent appeared, we went quickly and very efficiently into action. And one of the many other important ways we helped each other was to advise the other when it was time to "Cool Your Jets." Not that either of us wanted to hear it at the time, but it always came when it was most needed and most helpful for stabilizing the situation.
Of all of the many things I appreciated about my boss, the greatest for me was his use of the beautiful phrase, “Help me understand.” Whenever we had locked horns over an issue or I felt misunderstood I would invite him to join me in a conference room for a private conversation. And he was always eager to comply. As I explained to him (usually with intense emotion) what my issue or problem was, he always sat close to me and gave me the most exquisite eye contact, following my story and letting me explain everything. Afterwards, he would almost always say, “I was not aware you felt this way at all. Help me understand.”
HELP ME UNDERSTAND...three words which became for me one of the biggest lessons of my life. I found this phrase to make such a difference in the feeling I had about my work life. And I find this phrase to be so important in the context of interpersonal relationships. The potential applications are unending. I have so admired the ability of my boss to drop into that beautiful state of caring and I have come to realize how important that message is, especially to someone who is feeling lost or misunderstood.
Is there someone in your life who would love to hear those words from you?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment