I attended one of Stephen Covey's lectures many years ago. After some clever videos and nuggets of wisdom, he opened the floor for questions. And that's when the real fun started.
It was readily apparent Covey was not one of those speakers who would preface their answers mindlessly with 'great question' or had high level of tolerance for anything in the name of question.
There was quite a clamour as many from the audience ostensibly wanted to ask a question. The mic was frantically passed around and many distinguished looking men and women stood up and spoke. But as it happens many times, they were not really questions.
The surprising part was Covey called it. He said, not once but repeatedly, looking the person in the eye, "Sir, I am opening the floor for questions. Not assertions, not comments, not arguments, not opinions disguised as questions. Please step up only if you have a question"
Every time I attend a conference when invariably there is at least one person who does the above, I think of Stephen Covey.
It was readily apparent Covey was not one of those speakers who would preface their answers mindlessly with 'great question' or had high level of tolerance for anything in the name of question.
There was quite a clamour as many from the audience ostensibly wanted to ask a question. The mic was frantically passed around and many distinguished looking men and women stood up and spoke. But as it happens many times, they were not really questions.
The surprising part was Covey called it. He said, not once but repeatedly, looking the person in the eye, "Sir, I am opening the floor for questions. Not assertions, not comments, not arguments, not opinions disguised as questions. Please step up only if you have a question"
Every time I attend a conference when invariably there is at least one person who does the above, I think of Stephen Covey.
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