Team Building & Development

Practice Present-Moment Time

December 23, 2008

From:  Sloan, K. (2006).  Smarter, faster, better: strategies for effective, enduring, and fulfilled leadership.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

1. Breathe.  Take a deep breath.  Remember the simple power of the breath, and slow it down.
2. Focus on the person you're speaking with and to.  Stop your awareness of every other thing you are responsible for, and pay attention to this individual interaction.
3. Focus on the process of the communication as well as the content.  Instead of listening just for what is being said, listen to how it is being said.
4. Keep a touchstone or physical reminder to center you mind and your focus on the present. 
5. Pay attention to your heart and not just your head.  What are your emotions telling you?  What is your gut feeling telling you?
6. Scan your body for tension.  Recognize any tension you are holding, and let your body relax.
7. Take a big-picture snapshot.  Take just a moment to think of how this day is a part of the larger picture (Sloan, 2006, p.133)?

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