Page 227 - Paulisms: Gold Nuggets for Small Business

She resigned about a week later and the company was better off for it, as we didn’t need big egos in the business. The disappointing thing for me was that I always tried to pass my business learnings on to young people and get them involved in the business. I had to think differently from that experience.
When you get into a situation where you are tempted to give an opinion, pause, and think: What experiences can I share regarding this situation? Reprogram yourself to not giving opinions but contribute from experience. You will find it hugely powerful and you will be rewarded with respect. That incident with my employee lost my respect for her. Hopefully she learnt from her experience and applied these powerful principles to others.
How to voice your experience, not your opinion
YOUR ACTION
‘I disagree (very strongly)...’ ‘In my opinion...’
REPLACE WITH
‘I can see how you think that. However, from my experience...’
‘From my experience...’
Paulism: Talk from your own experiences, not opinions. Giving experiences offsets the need to disagree. Talking from experience builds respect and leaves egos at the door – where they belong.