“Self-Expression”

One of if not the biggest challenge in our personal or business life is getting our point of view across to another person, we know what we want but no matter what we say they just don’t seem to listen? sometimes we end up in an argument !!

Even if you convince that person you are right and they are wrong, their personal pride would make it difficult for them to back down in future subjects which they may not agree with.

When I was a foreman on a construction site a few years ago I had the responsibility of overseeing the success of each project I was on, the job was a challenge, getting the guys to see my point of view on the overall project seemed to be a daily struggle.

Sometimes I would get angry at them for not getting the work completed on time or argue with them, that they should just do as I say…

One day I was asked to go to another site for a day and oversee another project. I was worried the guys would not do the work I had set up for them to do that day we were on a very tight schedule so there was no margin for mistakes, so I made a decision to put my best man Mike in charge, I told him There was another project I needed to work at tomorrow and I was putting him in charge for the day, I explained to Mike the company was growing and they were looking for people like him to be the foreman on up coming projects and this would be a great opportunity for him.

I had a written schedule on my desk for him to follow, all he had to do was direct the guys, he was in charge.

When I returned all the work I had set up was done in fact they finished the work ahead of schedule and kept going…Mike took it upon himself to start another phase of the project, I was impressed !

Mike had achieved a level of importance and being in charge that day gave him an avenue of self-expression.

By providing a level of responsibility which gave Mike a new level of importance that day, his desire to want more was aroused and could now look at things from his perspective.

Sometimes we need to slow down to go faster…Instead of getting frustrated or angry when someone doesn’t see it your way…Why not let them ponder the idea themselves…They will then own it.