Fierce Tip of the Week: Be Generous in Your Conversations

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There are so many ways to practice generosity in your conversations. You can be generous with your time, your attitude, your knowledge, and you can direct this effort towards others, and even toward yourself.

Generosity is a component of one of the Four Objectives of a Fierce Conversation: Enrich the Relationship. Being a generous conversationalist shows you are invested in the relationship and leave people feeling positive about your interactions, even if what you discussed was difficult or confrontational.

Showing generosity is also personally rewarding – it can encourage you to explore new people and subjects you may know very little about.

For example, this week I had the opportunity to speak with a young soon-to-be college graduate who was curious about leadership development and life outside of academia. She was motivated enough to ask to speak with someone and I really respected that.

I practiced being generous by blocking out time for the call amidst a crazy schedule. I also worked to be fully present and really listen. As a reward I was able to connect with a really intelligent young woman who I hope to keep in touch with!

How can you practice being generous in your conversations this week?