“A wise old owl sat in an oak,
the more he heard the less he spoke,
the less he spoke the more he heard,
now isn’t that a wise old bird….”
– Author Unknown (made famous by John Wooden)
We all think we are great listeners but the problem is we live in a one-dimensional, totally biased world that ultimately looks to serve one person’s ego… Our own.
Many times when we get into a conversation, our type A personality comes out, and for whatever reason, we feel like we need to share all of our feelings and opinions at once.. We blab from the mouth as if we are either running out of air or time, which we are, but that’s for another email…
Spend one dinner at the Byrnes family circus table and this shit show will be on full display.
So how do we fix it?
When we get into a conversation, ASK questions…
I ran into Derek Jeter not that long ago in the Meatpacking District, and he was walking with his new bride, Hannah Davis… I couldn’t help myself:
Me: “Jeets!!! Eric Byrnes…”
Jeter: “Byrnesie!!!! How you been?
Me: Blah Blah Blah
Jeter: “Where you living?”
Me: Blah Blah Blah
Jeter: “How you enjoying the Network?”
Me: Blah Blah Blah
Jeter: “You married?”
Me: Blah Blah Blah
Jeter: “You have kids?”
Me: Blah Blah Blah
Before I knew it….
Poof.
They were GONE.
That’s what makes Derek Jeter the iconic superstar that he is…
He was engaging, polite and asked pointed questions that got direct responses.
He got everything he needed out of me, yet my blabbing ass got nothing from him.
The next day at work I told everybody that I ran into Derek and everyone asked where he was living and what he was doing… I had no F*ING clue. 🤷♂️
Yet, Jeter knew exactly all 3 locations I was living and exactly what was going on in my life and at work. He came out of the conversation obtaining informational knowledge, and I came out of it saying I got to see Derek Jeter and I got to meet Hannah Davis. Not bad consultation prizes but once again, the Captain comes out on top…
Since that day, whenever I have found myself in any sort of engaged conversation, I have made it a point to ask myself…
What would Derek Jeter do???
-EB