Engage(d)

I admire immensely folks who are skillful at engaging with others. They have the ability to, somehow, make us feel at ease in their presence. 

These engagement artisans have numerous "tools" they leverage to make the rest of us feel heard, seen, valued, and respected. Here are some of the things these engagemeisters do:

• They ask penetrating questions which invite us to reveal our knowledge, feelings, and positions.
• They display transparency and vulnerability in their own words and demeanor.
• They LISTEN intently as we share our thoughts.
• The exude kindness.
• They offer praise and thanks freely.
• They are fully present during the interaction.
• They seek, always, to build bridges instead of walls.

Just imagine a day in which we might encounter nothing other than these kinds of folks. (Or maybe just a few of them.)

How rewarding might our own days be if we could learn to behave in this way?