Good communication is essential to the success of any professional service provider who is interested in working with affluent consumers. It requires expressing yourself clearly and also listening attentively. But, it also necessitates that you have a mindset of allowing people to have diverse or even opposing opinions without you shutting down the communication.
The best selling book, “I’m OK. You’re OK” was first published almost a half a century ago (1969). Yet, it appears that humans are still struggling to achieve that conciliatory state of mind, the position on life that lets bygones be bygones and gives peace a chance.
Someone who exemplifies the “I’m OK. You’re OK” life position is Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski), head of men’s basketball at Duke University and also coach of three Gold Metal winning US Olympic men’s basketball teams. We were very much moved by a recent WSJ interview with this wise man, a man who champions diversity.
Coach K was asked if he supported the NCAA’s boycott of North Carolina games over the state’s anti-LGBT bathroom law and also whether or not he would accept a transgender athlete on his team. His answers to both questions were a resounding YES!
Coach K has the courage to speak out against the law based on it being discriminatory. He feels that we need to embrace diversity and find the beauty in all kinds of people; just because some people are different does not mean that they are wrong. He advocates opening up and learning about differences instead of shutting down and saying no.
Take a page out of the playbook of Coach K in your business. The next time someone different than you say, “I’m OK. Are you OK about that?” be someone who can say YES!
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