I spoke to my college friend Dhruv Soni today. Of Shark Tank fame. :)
At one point, he said that I’ve realized that pitching is all about listening. And not about speaking.
So true. Before we even go to pitching, we need understanding. And listening is the key. :) Otto Scharmer, senior lecturer at MIT Sloan and Founder of Presencing Institute, says listening is our blind spot. He says we can access four types of listening - Downloading, Factual, Empathic and Generative (More here).
Last week, I wrote how most of us are simply doubling down on downloading, that is only listening those things which conform to our existing worldview
At one point, we were discussing about relationships and we spoke that we have become accustomed to living “alone together.”
But the possibility is much greater. Where we want to be, is that even when we are alone, we want to feel together. :) As Dhruv Bhatt, lovingly known as Dhruv Dada sings, “Even when alone, I'm in a carnival each day.”
So as a result of the indulgence, and given that we both at one point wanted to get a job in a consulting firm (which he got and I wasn’t able to), here is a rough attempt at putting this in a 2*2 with a couple slides. :)
Sometimes I doubt if my half-baked musings are even of any value to others, are they good enough; but then I am going to lean into trust, and just go ahead and offer my two biscuits. And I’m gonna hope that someone else can bring the tea. :)
P.S. And right as our conversation ended, I received another newsletter from my all-quirky and delightful friend Ashwin, with this really telling story from a Bollywood film, which went right through my heart.
I hope people don’t have to live alone in our company.
Sometimes I doubt if my half-baked musings are even of any value to others, are they good enough-- yes, please keep writing. Even if for no one else, keep doing it for me :)
Wonderful writing and beautiful thoughts . Since you wanted some tea , I will provide some.
I volunteer ( two days a week) at the Home care /day care centre of CanSupport . An organisation (NGO) looking after needs of cancer patients. I am there as a counselor for Palliative and end of life care patients.
Yesterday after almost 6 hours in the field , we had come back to the office which serves as a day care centre. Some patients had come to visit us . We all were busy chatting as it happened to be the birthday of one of the nurses.
In their busyness, nobody noticed that we were occupying the chairs and the patients were standing. I got off and got the chair to the patient who had come with her husband. In the meantime I started chatting (My way of counselling ) with another husband whose wife had come for a small procedure which we were were providing at the day care centre. In the meantime TEA was served , which was meant for the doctors , nurses and counselors.
I could not let the opportunity go . I offered my cup of Tea to the husband I was counselling. He could sense who the Tea was meant for and was reluctant to take. I literally forced him. He only started sipping once my tea came.
Some Chocolates to go with the TEA . As it was a birthday , the Birthday Nurse had ordered Ice cream/chocolates for the doctors , nurses and counselors. I some how hid the chocolate which she had got for me and quietly sneaked it to the other husband whom I had offered the chair. That husband with so much love , gave it to his wife who was suffering from cancer. I could sense the love and the anticipated grief in his eyes when he offered the chocolate to his cancer ridden wife . which she shyly received.
I even helped them carry the ration supply, which the organisation had provided, to the ground floor , into the road and almost into a rickshaw. There were two sacks , and how could I let the sick wife carry the sack , which she otherwise would have carried ,as they needed the ration badly.
As Mother Teresa says " “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love”