Harvey Mackay, one of the best business minds (in my opinion), had a column out about two or three weeks ago in the Business Journal, about why observation matters, and we’ve added our .02 to what Harvey said:
- Focus on the task at hand. Next year is next year, and next week is next week. If you have a meeting going, put the cell phone on silent, so it’ll translate text messages. Odds are you don’t have to take that call.
- Practice active listening. Grunt or give an ‘uhhuh’ once in a while but try to do more than that. Look at the speaker. Watch your and his/her body language.
- ASK QUESTIONS. Try to make them as probative as you can. Seek clarity if you don’t understand something. You’re not on automatic recording on your cell phone, or maybe you are, in order to record the meeting.
- Take notes, or record the meeting. ChatGPT has a neat outline feature you can use to summarize the meeting.
- Reflect and analyze on what went well, what didn’t and make yourself a list of what you’ve got to do, and when you think you’ve got to do it. Are all of your people at the meeting giving 110 percent?
- Observe body language. Does everyone want to be there? Do they all contribute? Who looks like they’re in pain, and why?
- Stay curious. Approach situations with an open mind and a willingness to learn. Don’t make decisions based on having your name on the building.
- Limit multitasking. If someone seems to be doing that while meeting, ask him/her why. Might or might not be urgent. Might be something the meeting should discuss, or you have discuss later with him/her. Cellphones can be on speaker silent but on .
- Engage in regular feedback. From employees, peers, mentors, even customers. Seek it, act on it.
Harvey says to incorporate all of the above into your daily routine, which means you don’t always have one, but it’s a good goal.
“Observation is like a muscle: use it and it grows stronger”