Tuesday, June 11, 2019

I thought I was More Transparent Than That

I am collaborating with two colleagues at work on a project.  In the first meeting, I realized that if I wasn't careful, Charlie and I were talking over our colleague.  We are older, we have been there much longer, we are louder, and if we are not careful we drown out our fresh, young, bright co-worker.  We hired her (yes - gender roles play a factor in this,) we hired her because she has a lot to bring to the table, but we will never hear it if we don't shut up and let her talk.  In a meeting with her, she mentioned that something had not happened the way she had envisioned, and I said, "sorry, we drowned you out on that." I went on to say, that I had made a conscious effort to try to listen more and talk less in meetings, so we could benefit from her contribution.  She said, thank you but I didn't notice.  

That leads to one of two conclusions:
1: I didn't succeed in shutting up and listening.
or
2: I did it so well that she didn't notice. 

I hope it was the second one.  
Every voice brings something important to the table.  

7 comments:

  1. plastic fantastic man up there. see what happens with co-worker.

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    1. He is glass, stumbled across that in a gallery - someplace, New Orleans I think.

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    2. ooooh, even more fragile.

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  2. Hilarious. Unless she’s really snarky, I think she meant she didn’t notice that you hadn’t been listening in the first place.

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  3. I'm trying to imagine you being loud and it doesn't compute. Letting someone who can contribute, contribute, is always a good idea even if the contribution sucks. We all learn something.

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  4. good for your consciousness on the topic.

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