Have you heard about tell-sell-yell syndrome?
When I was younger, if I would get excited about something and fully believed that this was a brilliant idea, I would catch this syndrome right away.
🔹 First, I would tell everything I know about it to everyone involved. TELL
🔹 Then, if I wouldn’t see the same level of enthusiasm on people’s faces, I would start coming up with all sorts of benefits, why they should get excited and agree with me. SELL
🔹 And, if I still would not get the response I was hoping for, I would start pushing and pushing until others would reach the breaking point and would agree with me just to get me off their backs. YELL
I would consider myself enthusiastic and passionate, but I guess others would see me as straightforward annoying.
It took me years to realize that the best medicine for the tell-sell-yell syndrome is LISTENING.
Passion is great, but you won’t be able to move forward and be supported by others if they don’t share this passion with you. And you won’t know if they do unless you would ask and listen for the answers.
During my coaching career, I’ve met quite a few leaders who sometimes catching the same syndrome. And it’s not because they don’t know how to listen. It’s because they just forget about it in the heat of the conversation.
Do you know what worked for me? A simple reminder.
Like many of us set an alarm to remind ourselves to take medication on time, I put a sticky note on my table that says: WAIT (Why Am I Talking).
I made it a habit to look at this note a few times during my conversations with potential clients or colleagues, to make sure I am not falling into the old patterns.