Take a Break and Be Interested in People

Day 27 of 80 Days of Excellence

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

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You don’t have to talk about work all the time. You don’t have to be intense every single moment. Sometimes, take the time to ask people about their weekend, their hobbies, and their families.

It has taken time for me to learn this important point. But the bottom line is that we like to be around people we like. And people liking each other is all about having a relationship. And we need relationships to work together.

John Maxwell says,

“All things being equal, people will work with people they like. All things not being equal, people will still work with people they like.”

Now, I’m not saying everyone will like you or me or that we should all worry terribly about being popular. However, being likable is important because if you’re unlikeable it is hard to accomplish what you’re put here to do.

We tend to find interested people interesting.

Want to have someone think you’re a fantastic conversationalist? Just ask them about their interests. Get them talking. At the end of the “conversation” – they’ll think you’re awesome.

But here’s the thing. I love to hear people’s stories. People are fascinating and incredibly, I am always meeting the most remarkable people. When you’re genuinely interested in others, you’ll find that many people are fascinating. You may even learn some things about people you’ve known a long time that surprises you.

So, your challenge for your next day at work? Sit down at lunch or break and ask questions. Be interested in other people and their lives. See what happens. You might just be pleasantly surprised.

This post is day 27 of 80 days of excellence. I’ve created an email list below for those of you want to be emailed the full posts written as part of this series.

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via Vicki Davis at coolcatteacher.com. Please also check out my show for busy teachers, Every Classroom Matters and my Free teaching tutorials on YouTube.