Loading ...I like what Keith Ferrazzi had to say recently to his mailing list:
“Failing to listen well is rude. I don’t care whether you’re talking to the Queen of England or your intern. It very loudly communicates, Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn. And as a master relationship builder, it’s your job to care.”
As a Virtual Assistant/Administrative Support Consultant, it’s your job to listen well. This includes all forms of listening, not just with your ears. Being attentive to written details and instructions is a form of listening that is absolutely essential to what we do. It’s a critical demonstration of your competence and qualification.
Now, don’t confuse this with asking clarifying questions when you need more information to get an accurate picture and understanding. That’s a sign of an attentive listener who wants to do a great job. But when you can’t follow simple instructions and ask for all kinds of hand-holding, particularly when the answers to your questions are right there in the instructions, you waste people’s time. That’s not only rude, it’s incompetent.
I am ruthless about how my time is expended; I have to be. So do clients. I absolutely will not waste it on people who disrespect my time by abjectly refusing to read and pay attention. No one is going to want or continue to work with you if you have a problem listening–in all its forms.
