Attitudes in our Service Lives - 26/07/06

Have you ever wondered how we present ourselves?  How we are perceived by others?  Do we really care how others see and hear us?  Do we really care how, in our fast moving lives, we can affect others in either a positive or negative way?

We have all heard the phrase ‘Customer Service’ and we can all certainly point to both good and bad examples.  But are we [each] aware of our own personae broadcasts in this regard?

I have been studying and practicing EQ emotional intelligence for some years now and every day my awareness grows, my enlightenment brightens and my projections improve [hopefully].   My partner and I were talking recently about attitudes and how people interact and communicate in certain situations and suddenly so many examples of people’s guardedness, negativity and suspicion came to mind.

During our working lives my partner and I, and those we employ, come across so many business people, all of whom have that common goal……… to be successful.  We all want and need to be successful so that we can achieve that state where peace, serenity, security and freedom to make choices of what we do, where we go and how we want to live, can be had.  Business is generally about communication, provision and service between individuals and groups [companies].  So why is it then that so very many seem to be so isolationist?  So suspicious? 

In our business we come across people who are one-man businesses to those who are working in large corporates.  Individuals promote themselves and their businesses on a variety of web sites, business directories, search engines, anywhere that they can be seen and possibly attract attention.  Attracting attention is ‘key’ to furthering their businesses towards success and yet………….

Very many times recently [we] have contacted or tried to contact people and businesses with a view to talking, sharing, networking, providing, supporting, helping and yes……… even selling to them.  Very many times these contacts are met with either “I’m too busy to talk right now” or “ Give me your details and I will get back to you” or “the person you need isn’t here right now but I will pass a message on and they will get back to you”.  There are even times when [we] have met with these people and their body language is so defensive and tight and some of these are Coaches, NLP Practitioners or other Consultants.  Those people or businesses we actually speak with on the telephone hardly ever call back, seem so sure that no one else could possibly provide that ‘extra’ something that could make a difference.  They are virtually ‘closed for business’.  They are virtually ‘closed to life’.  I just wonder what’s wrong with these people?

Every business is a people-to-people business in some form or another.  Every business has communication at its core.  Every working activity with every individual has emotions composite in their interactions; so why do we constantly shy away from them.  EQ emotional intelligence in business is all about;

• self-awareness [who you really are, your honest self, your authentic self],
• self-management [how you really function and how you want to function],
• communication [how to talk ~ verbally and bodily, to physically present and to share with others],
• social skills [how you interact and develop with others around you],
• relationship development [how to connect with others on a variety of chosen levels] and
• relationship management [how you develop, grow and prosper in your involvement with others]. 

In writing this I have had to look to myself as well.  I cannot hold myself up as the ‘perfect’ one.  I cannot ‘throw stones’ at others because I too live in and see my own glass house.  I too need to constantly examine my own personal performances.  To assess my attitudes and reactions.  To try to see the ‘me’ as I am and then to push past those self-erected barriers that are identified.  Treat others as I would like to be treated……. ever heard this before? 

An article written by Michael Boase

Managing Partner
Lambda Mi Training and Development
EQ Emotional Intelligence Trainer and Practitioner
www.lambda-mi.com