Honesty in business, for me, is being first and foremost honest about who I am. When I started getting into business and leaving the nine-to-five word, I was very guarded about sharing any parts of myself. I thought that to be a professional meant very certain things and I lived and worked under these assumptions.
As I grew, both as a businesswoman and an individual, I realized that keep this harsh "professional" separateness was NOT serving me. It made me feel inauthentic and secretive, which are not qualities I wanted to bring to my work. As I started sharing more of myself, my work became more EFFECTIVE.
At the end of the day, that's what I want, to be effective at what I do. I've learned that letting a little bit of myself through that professional wall allows me to maximize my efficiency and improve my business relationships.
Three ways you can begin to share more:
- Tell the truth when someone asks you how you are. Let them in, not for an hour, but just for a couple of minutes. Even if you are on a conference call, this honest check-in lets them know where you are really coming from.
- Be willing to listen to what someone else is feeling. Being a good listener is a big part of honesty. We have to be confident and open enough to sit in silence and listen, thoughtfully.
- If a client or co-worker is having a difficult time, share with them a personal anecdote. You don't have to go into great detail, but it is always comforting for them to know they aren't experiencing something in a vacuum.
Related posts that you might dig:
When You Just Don't Wanna:: Tips On How To Start, or not.
about 6 days ago
about a month ago
Sugar Overload (stuuupid cookies)
about a month ago