How many times have you thought to yourself after a meeting, “Well, that was a waste of time. Glad I was getting paid for that!” Consider for a moment the following questions: How focused were you during the meeting? How many times did you check your phone or look at Instagram? Did you give the session an opportunity for you to derive some benefit from it? Were you truly present?
What does it mean to be present? When I’m present, I’m not thinking about what happened before the meeting or what I will be doing later. I engage in what is in front of me and make eye contact. This creates an active curiosity and I usually end up hearing something I needed to hear or learning something new. I focus on really listening instead of creating grocery lists, etc. in my head.
This month we’re asking the question – What are some of the benefits of being present at work and how can we achieve true presence?
Here’s a list of 3 of the main benefits of being present at work from Cornerstone Dynamics:
# 1 – Better business interactions. As an example, let’s say you’re in a one-on-one sales discussion with a potential customer. When you’re present, you’re focused on the interaction with the person and nothing else. You’re not thinking about what you had for breakfast or the report you need to finish by the end of the day. By being present you’re able to listen better, you pick up on, and sense things, better. When you’re present you can focus completelyon the interaction and contribute real value.
# 2 – Better problem solving ability. In business, problems arise – out of stocks occur, sales forecasts are not met, etc. You can catastrophize business problems – overreact to them, and put yourself in a situation where you’re paralyzed and unable to think clearly. On the other hand, you can choose to relax and be present. When you’re present you’re focused on the problem and only the problem and you can sidestep the distractions that prevent you from finding a solution.
# 3 – Increased productivity.There are many approaches to help increase productivity and being present is an incredible one. You’ve got a deadline coming and you start to worry, you get caught up in the “what if” thinking, and you get totally stressed out, and become unproductive. You’re not focused on the tasks at hand. Rather, you’re preoccupied with negative self-chatter and worry. When you’re present you can focus and you can recognize and eliminate the things that don’t move your project or your work forward.