Here's a scenario you don't see every day: Picture a candidate who is already very gainfully employed, is working with stable and secure organization, in a job that reflects today's media. Now picture them calling me for help. What could I possibly do?
Those were my thoughts as we agreed to meet and catch up. She is someone I have known for over 20 years and one of the great things about coaching someone for that long is that you can say very straight forward things to each other.
My mentee brought one of her colleagues with her and I purposely, I sat between them. Why? Because if you are out with two colleagues who work closely together, there is a strong chance you will inadvertently be left out of the conversation. But by putting yourself literally in the middle, you are kept in the action.
They wanted to meet because their company is planning a reduction-in-force. Even though the nature of their work mean both employees will most likely stay on, they were nonetheless concerned about how they can continue to be seen by supervisors as two staff members who add value.
My mentee went on to say that her performance evaluations were always stellar minus one area: one she termed "personality." She said she has people constantly telling her to "dial it down." Indeed, as the three of us were talking, she kept interrupting as we tried to answer one of her questions before the next one was uttered. It's a habit I recognize in myself. My brain works fast and I've had to train myself to learn to wait until someone has stopped talking before I jump in.
The difference between a well-told story for radio and one that is merely average, is the difference between hearing a sound and listening to it. The art of conversation should be treated the same. You must know the difference and make it part of who you are as an audio journalist. If you are truly interested in your standing at work, and moreover as a person, you need to be called " a good listener."
Ya hear?
doug@knowledgewebb.net
*Chantal de la Rionda edits this blog
