1. You are a trigger.
Because something you say might activate someone else’s ideas.
2. You are an idea midwife.
Because you respect the speaker’s speed of self-discovery and enable her to ‘give birth’ to her own understanding.
3. You are a sounding board.
Because sometimes vocalizing your ideas is all people need to make create breakthroughs.
4. You are a receiver.
Because people can only think clearly after they’ve emptied their reservoirs of emotion, anger, stress and frustration.
5. You’re a still body of water.
Because your inner calmness will enable people to see their own reflection.
6. You are a challenger.
Because you’re not afraid to call people on their bullshit and get to the bottom of what’s REALLY going on..
7. You are an idea-bouncing machine.
Because you’ll give others an objective, candid opinion, right away.
8. You are an objective observer.
Because your non-judgmental, non-directive and non-threatening responses are emotionally unreactive.
9. You are clarifier.
Because you don’t judge, correct or unnecessarily advise the person.
10. You are an enabler.
Because you allow people to take ownership of their problem, to begin to hear themselves and to discover solutions.
11. You are a yoga master.
Because you focus your full attention and awareness to the speaker without interrupting, anticipating commenting.
12. You are a questioner.
Because you ask (but don’t OVER ask) questions that are well timed, open ended, non-threatening, penetrating and pointed.
13. You are a relaxed piece of asparagus.
Because you but don’t try too hard to contribute, prove yourself or impose your own agenda on the other person.
