I like an acronym I heard Tom Hanks say one time: W.A.I.T.
Because
he is a chatty person (apparently), he uses this to remind himself to
be a better listener: "Why Am I Talking?" It's a good one. I have
added other question for myself. Even though I don't have a convenient
acronym for it:
"Are they asking your opinion?"
This
one really helps me discern when I need to just listen and resist the
urge to chime in with a comment, or attempt to fix a problem nobody was
asking me to fix.
In
doing this, I have found two things--it is much harder than you might
think to hold your tongue when you think your great wisdom could be
helpful, and secondly, usually nobody ends up actually asking for your
opinion!
Some
of you are innately reserved and have a tremendous ability to be a good
listener, but for those of you who do not, I encourage you to try Tom's
acronym or my question, and see if they help. Let me know how it goes.
Also,
I would love to hear about anything you use to "catch" yourself before
you get yourself in trouble, and yes, I'm asking for your opinion!
Janet Cassidy
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