 You might have heard of OMG or ROFL. Well, here’s a new acronym to help with your communications at work: LARO
What does it stand for? Listen, Acknowledge, Reflect and Offer. When you are in a work meeting, and people are blocking the forward motion of the conversation by saying ‘yes, but that will not work because of…’ or ‘we don’t have the resources for that…’ or ‘that’s a bad idea…’, they have lapsed into CRITICALthinking rather than staying in DIVERGENT thinking. CRITICAL thinking is about evaluating, DIVERGENT thinking is about problem solving and solutions. There is a time and place for both methods, however, shutting down creative problem solving at each turn is not a useful strategy. Try LARO to keep the conversation moving forward: - LISTEN to the objections that people are bringing up. - ACKNOWLEDGE they are bringing up a valid point. Critical thinking is necessary for strategic planning. - REFLECT back what you hear. This allows the person to know that you heard them, and understand what they are saying and feeling. - OFFER alternatives to move them into the possibility of problem solving. Use sentences like:
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 As an improviser, I stepped on stage not knowing what I was going to say, or what was going to happen. I had no set, no script and no costume.
I got used to dealing with the uncertainty of not knowing what would happen. As we start 2021, I think it’s important for us to accept that we don’t always have control over what will happen. 2020 definitely threw us a few curveballs! We learned to pivot - we found new ways to communicate and new ways of creating work. We never know what will happen next. Let's embrace not knowing, and being comfortable with the uncertainty. (And if you do know what is going to happen, then email me. I’d love to know what your crystal ball tells you!) |
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Mission: To create interpersonal environments where humans learn to be fully present in their possibilities, communicate in more authentic ways, and experience their limitless opportunities for innovation.
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