The Winning Advantage by Raymond Houser

Author:Raymond Houser [Raymond Houser]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: -
Publisher: BookBaby
Published: 2018-07-23T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Enthusiasm: A Special Ally

“There is nothing greater than enthusiasm.”—Henry Moore

In his book Dumbing Down America, Charles Sykes lists 14 Rules for Students. If you haven’t seen them, I suggest you check them out. The rules are a wake-up call to graduates about the reality of their futures. In brief sentences, he covers what life is really like after school ends and work begins. Among other nuggets of in-your-face wisdom, Sykes says that a boss is a lot tougher than a teacher, you might be required to wear a uniform and that job experience, and the hours involved, is absolutely nothing like school.

Listening, Coping, and Giving Up Too Soon

While I agree with much of what Sykes writes, I think there is even more to say on certain guidelines that involve the real world of work. Enthusiasm about what you are doing is vital to your success. How you can keep that fresh is a major aspect of what you do. When the Southwestern Company hired me, I was fortunate to receive memos from Spencer Hays, who was the president of the company during that time. Three memos, dated November 15, 1973, October 20, 1975, and September 23, 1976, still resonate with me.

Listening

The first memo dealt with a subject we should all learn to excel in: listening. This is so important because it’s easy to let your enthusiasm become diluted if you don’t listen correctly. What Hays was referring to was not just hearing what the person was saying, but also actually paying attention to what was said. Think about the times when you were trying to express your thoughts about something that mattered to you and the person with you kept interrupting. Or, the other person felt it was his responsibility to correct your facts or reasoning before you finished talking. Even worse, the other person didn’t bother to make eye contact with you, just nodded, and when you were done didn’t even acknowledge what you said.

Proper listening is easy to learn. Practice it and you will be surprised at the positive responses. The lessons are simple:

• When someone is speaking with you face to face, make eye contact.

• Tell the person you want to jot down his points. As Hays said, “This way, he knows that you are going to consider what he says. He knows you value his opinion and believe his ideas are worthy of consideration.”

• After the other person is done, tell him that you want to make sure you understand what he is saying. Hays pointed out that “Is this what you really mean?” shows that you were listening. Then take the time to hear his reply. It is so worthwhile at this juncture to say, “Let me see if I understand you right.” Both these statements, while demonstrating your attention, allow you to introduce your own opinion.

• Use language that isn’t confrontational but rather shows your willingness to be flexible. Hays warned against symbolically hitting him over the head with a definitive “This is

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