FA-MI-AY!

No, our title of today’s “Wisdom on Wednesday” is not a misspelling. It’s spelled exactly how it was intended. Every year, it’s my job to put together a State of the Company address. This address happens in January typically, however, due to the copious amounts of snow we received, we had to postpone to March.

Along with sharing financials and reflections on what went well and what we will be focusing on for the new year, it’s my job to come up with an annual battle cry. Last year’s word was FOCUS. The Prophiteers huddle every morning at nine for our daily Core Value review, among other topics. At the end of this 15-minute huddle we get together and chant our battle cry.

FA-MI-AY stands for: Forget About Me, It’s About You. Often, when people engage with others they are so ready to share their next thought that they don’t allow truly listen to the other person.

For example, if you found out a person lost a loved one, and you too lost a loved one, it’s not fair to interject with your own story of loss as they tell theirs. It’s not the same. Emotions are truly unique to each of us. You may think you’re helping by sharing your experience, but what they really need is an ear. The same goes for client/agency relationships. Being anxious to jump in with ideas for a client often leads them to believe you’re not listening to them.

FA-MI-AY reminds each Prophiteer when they start their day to make it about whomever they’re with and not about themselves. It promotes listening and understanding and demotes self-righteousness.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Practice FA-MI-AY for yourself and watch people engage.