Friday, April 3, 2009

To Share or Not to Share


wendy
Originally uploaded by kevin russ

What do you share? When do you share? When should you share?

Some people share themselves. They share their stories. They share their personal lives. They share their troubles. They share their fears. They share their feelings, past regrets, and everything else in between. They share, share, share until you're pretty sure they've crossed that TMI line.

Admit it, sometimes it isn't just them. Sometimes you and I fall into this trap too.

Most people don't want to know about you until you've learned something about them. That's a hard pill to swallow for some. It's a basic rule of relationship building, yet so many have a hard time understanding the rule.

When you meet someone, ask them about themselves. Who they are, what they do, what are their accomplishments, etc. Already know something about them? If you like it, tell them. Show appreciation for what they are doing, who they are, or whatever else it is. Interact and most importantly listen. There will be plenty of time to share something about yourself in the future.

In the meantime, build a relationship, some trust, and quite possibly a friendship. Listen, interact, then share.

1 comment:

Danny Brown said...

It makes me wonder if it stems from junior school, where we're encouraged to raise our hands and be the person with the info?

Impressionable kids are the best and worst of listeners and take a lot of what they learn into adult lives - sometimes good, sometimes bad.

Maybe we need to go back to the start and re-boot? :)