1. “If you have to say you’re cool, you aren’t.” Michael Stavros; Manager, Business Dev; Aventura Catering, spoken in agreement with my comment that if you have to use emoticons to show emotion or meaning, rethink your writing.
2. “Can I pick your brain?” A workshop participant offering an expression that keeps conversation going. He was a 21 year old coach as he watched the District Superintendent cross the field, before a practice, to talk to him. The young coach was petrified that he had done something wrong. DS’s first words, “Can I pick your brain about some programming we’re considering?” He’ll never forget how important, included and smart he felt that day – and uses that expression often. He says he watches people light up when they realize their opinion is valued.
3.”The mailman rings once.” A participant expressing how she saves time- by treating email like mail. Just as she gets mail in bulk, at once, and reads it when she has time to do something about it or with it, she does the same with email. She said it takes will-power to not open what you know is a check, or to see how much the bill is, or to pick up the catalogue with the cute baby clothes, but it just frustrates her when she can’t do anything about it (write the deposit slip, check her bank balance, enjoy looking at the clothes). She checks email just 4 times a day and schedules time to read, respond and savor.
Have tips for next Friday?