An interpersonal characteristic that separates highly-effective gift officers from those who are less effective is presence.
Not the “presence” of appearance or demeanor, when we might say that someone “has presence.”
But, rather, the “presence” of attunement and mindfulness, when we might say that someone “is present.”
Today, it is easy to feel as if we can be everywhere at once.
We can text while in meetings.
We can answer emails while attending a presentation.
We can take a call while we are at a lunch.
The reality, though, is that we delude ourselves into believing we can be everywhere at once. When, in fact, attempting to be everywhere creates distance from where we need to be most – in that moment, with whomever is in our presence.
If you want a simple (but not always easy) strategy to become more professionally effective, be attentive to your own focus in the moment.
Be present.
P.S. My daughter sometimes reads my blog and asks about the motivations for various posts. She regularly reminds our family to be present in the moment. So, thank you, Shelby, for inspiring this topic! And congratulations on your graduation this weekend. I can assure you that I, along with all of your family, will be present! 🙂
