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3 Mental Roadblocks to Engagement

The ability to engage in conversation(s) leads to countless possibilities and opportunities. Whether those opportunities are in the classroom, the teacher's lounge, the CEO's office, the workspace, the coffee station, or on the sales floor - engaged conversations are important.  Engagement matters!

The Benefits of Engagement

When it comes to effective and meaningful engagement, I have often been my own worst enemy. My experiences have taught me that I am not alone in creating “mental roadblocks” to my own success with "effective and meaningful" engagement.

Many people I have coached and consulted have the same issue.  Below are a few of the “mental road blocks” that may need to be addressed in the engagement processes. Identifying and “owning” these roadblocks may allow us to seize more opportunities for creating "effective and meaningful" engagement.

Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships by Daniel Goleman

3 Roadblocks to Engagment

Personal bias. 

Our personal filters, like it or not, are present in every engagement transaction we encounter. These biases cause us to assign value, or lack of value, to others in the during the engagement process. Our bias, when not addressed or taken into account, can be detrimental to the engagement process. Our perspectives can become clouded with “what” we believe to be true when in reality it may not be true at all.

Low expectations. 

Personal bias and low expectation go hand in hand. For instance, if you enter an engagement transaction with the belief that your presence will not make a difference in the outcome, then more likely than not, you will be correct and the transaction will be a waste of time for you and everyone else involved.

Selfish ambitions.

This is more than likely the most challenging mental road block to effective and meaningful engagement. As a former sales person, teacher, and executive, I can tell you, selfish ambition is alive and well in many people you encounter. It is also alive and well deep within you. Like it or not, it is there.

As you reflect on these road blocks, consider that they can be overcome. We are not trapped by our personal bias, expectations for others, or our own ambitions. In fact, we can learn to capitalize on them in effective and meaningful ways.

Failing to understand these "3 Mental Roadblocks to Engagement" and their overall impact on "what" you do and "why" you do it, may slow both personal and organizational success and growth.

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As always – if you would like to learn more about this topic - or - book me to speak with your organization, operators are standing by!



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