My dunkin' donut habit/math problem from last weeks' E-Couragement inspired some conversation, so let's continue.
The moral of the DD story was to be curious vs. being right. When we think we are right, we don't listen very well, in fact, instead of listening, we're waiting to speak.
When we're curious we focus fully on the caller's request.
But what do you do when you don't know? Find out.
What do you say? "I'd be happy to look into that and get back to you by 4 pm today."
Why does that work?
- you're expressing your desire to help
- you're letting them know that you will take action
- you are managing expectations by setting a specific timeframe
And in case you are wondering, it's 3 cups of strong, black coffee a day. Thank goodness new research shows this to be a good habit!