What really made a difference in my career?
I worked hard for many years, but there was a turning point when I saw maximum growth in myself in a matter of months and years.
It wasn’t a new job or promotion. It was when I felt truly seen and acknowledged by my mentors. They created an environment where I trusted my resourcefulness and found my way through challenges. So, I allowed myself to take risks which I avoided earlier. I tapped into a potential that I didn’t see before. Regardless of how high the challenge was, I just knew I could do it.
You can create the same thriving environment for people through a Thinking Partnership by:
Giving your attention with a deep interest in what the person is saying, without interruptions
Seeing them as your equal, regardless of the hierarchy
Being at ease yourself, even if there is an urgency outside you
Genuinely appreciating them five times more than you criticise them
Encouraging and building their courage, without competing with them
Offering accurate information in service to their thinking
Allowing them to express their feelings, they will think better once they go past that step
Taking an interest in the diversity between you and them, without making assumptions that you are the same
Asking incisive questions to cut through limiting assumptions
Preparing the place for thinking, expressing that they matter
The components of Thinking Partnerships apply in meetings, presentations, facilitation, mentoring, coaching, performance reviews, and other valuable relationships.
It takes only one person to shift a life, a career, a meeting and a company.
Be the person that allows others to spread their wings; it’s worth the effort.