Last week, I was at an off site for a local company, and they had an eight-person panel composed of four bosses and a subordinate for each. The bosses talked about how they worked to engage and motivate people, and the subordinates talked about how each boss operated and what they had learned from him or her.
One of the bosses talked about the importance of being fully present, an old but important theme that was emphasized in the Fish books. I was especially intrigued by his comment that, during conference calls, he turns off his computer screen so he can be fully present during the call –and not fall prey to the usual temptations of surfing the web and checking e-mail.
I love that tip.
It also reminded me, however, of a CEO who did the exact opposite — turning the volume off on her phone to avoid hearing the insults and foul language spewed out by a nasty board member. Being fully present is a wonderful thing in healthy relationships, but there are times when detachment has its virtues.
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