Business – Elliott Connection, LLC

24 06, 2014

Carrot – Egg – Coffee Bean…Which One are You?

A dear friend just sent me something I had sent out in 2002 that she ran across. Knowing what my life was like back then, I can understand how the story was important to me. Fortunately, I can say I’m in a very different place now. But I share the story, hoping it will cause you to think about your life. Enjoy.

Carrot – Egg – Coffee Bean…Which One are You?

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that as one problem was solved a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots of water. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word. In about 20 minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs […]

1 06, 2014

The Power of Listening

Coincidentally, “listening” has been the sermon theme for the past couple of weeks at my church. I’ll leave it to your resourcefulness to determine why listening
has a spiritual significance…

Anyone who has heard me speak or is reading my blogs knows one of my favorite bits of advice is to “be interested, not interesting!” Being able to listen well is a conduit to being able to communicate effectively.

A Strong Leader or Sales Professional is a Good Listener

There are lots of books on the power of listening, but I discovered a blog entitled Leadership & the Power of Listening by Mike Myatt, CEO of N2Growth. “The best leaders are proactive, strategic, and intuitive listeners. They recognize knowledge and wisdom are not gained by talking, but by listening.” They have the uncanny ability to read between the lines and understand what is not said.

The first rule in communication is to seek understanding before seeking to be understood. Communication is not a one-way street. Broadcasting your message ad nauseum will not result in a meaningful conversation, and could very well turn out to be a train wreck in the making. Good leaders must remember that […]

30 04, 2014

The Power of No!

“Wielded wisely, No is an instrument of integrity and a shield against exploitation. It often takes courage to say. It is hard to receive. But setting limits sets us free.” Judith Sills, Ph.D., published on November 5, 2013

I love this quote because it is so very true. It gives a positive twist to a negative word. I prefer to think of “no” as the next best answer to “yes”. I sure prefer that more than the “let me think about it” response. I want closure, one way or another.

The vector selected to use for this power is what it’s all about. We must make sure we have balance in our lives, whatever that may be for you. I’ll admit that I often do not practice what I preach. I say “yes” more than I should; thus, finding myself over-extended and living in a stressful and chaotic mode. That means I don’t sleep well, I eat poorly, my body aches from tension, and my brain is in a constant state of overwhelm. In other words, I simply have too […]