Dear Readers,

My daughter and I really enjoy the Disney movie, “Meet The Robinsons” and watch it frequently. I should clarify, I watch it and she will watch and then walk away and then come back and watch, she is almost three years old and a bundle of energy.

I was delighted to find my world as a manager and my role as a mother intersecting, (as they so often do!) because as I watched the movie for probably the 100th time, I was struck by a character’s line, because about two months ago, I heard it in a Ted Talk by the marvelous interviewer, Celeste Headlee-

In her talk, she gives 10 ways to have better conversations and as someone who feels passionately about deeper conversations, I paid rapt attention. I love all ten tips but the one that I heard in her Ted Talk AND in my beloved “Meet The Robinsons” was this. “Prepare To Be AMAZED. The character is talking to the board of directors and pitching his “great idea” and when Celeste talks about it, she is referring to every conversation being an opportunity to learn something you didn’t know about the person you are talking to. I love this idea, and am doing my best to incorporate it in every single conversation, even people I already know well, such as my husband.

A few weeks ago, we had a rare and treasured date night and after we agreed not to talk jobs, kids, or house stuff, we jumped in with a question to each other, “Tell me something I don’t know about you”. I was amazed to discover that there are definitely things about my partner that I didn’t know. Charming things, lovely things, AMAZING things. It was a wonderful revelation and it reminded me to take this approach in all my conversations and just yesterday I was in the middle of listening to a colleague (who I previously attributed to being in her 20’s) talk about her daughter, and I said, “She sounds lovely, how old is she?” Expecting the answer to be “9 or 10”, I was AMAZED to hear her say, “17”. I was assuming instead of listening.

Tbe opportunity to “Be Amazed” is within our grasp every day.

I encourage you to “Prepare To BE AMAZED” in all your conversations. Try it and see what happens. What do you have to lose?

Think About It.