Working with a client recently, we went through the usual pleasantries at the beginning of the session.
But from how she responded, I knew she’d been better and lacked her usual energy and glow.
I said I wanted us to develop your value proposition canvas, but I could tell that you’re not in the room – and if we did, you would just be going through the motions.
I feel you’re not really present. She agreed.
I closed my notebook, cancelled any thought of developing the canvas for that day and allowed the conversation to unfold.
Life is not just about business; it’s about the underlying stuff driving what we do, often in our relationships: frustrations, disappointments, and anger that, if not resolved, gets in the way of anything you want to do and or achieve.
Sometimes you may have a colleague or client who, just for that day or at that moment, it’s not all about targets, goals and deadlines but just the space to feel that someone is listening to them. It can make the world of difference to a client that you keep or a member of staff who is considering leaving the company.
At the end of the session, she said, “thanks for listening“
I know that next week we will be back in business. But just for today, it was everything but.
Sometimes our greatest value is just listening.
