Responsiveness is the secret ingredient of all successful people. A mentor once told me that those who practice responsiveness treat communication just like a tennis match where you are responsible for hitting the ball back. Great communicators don’t don’t hold onto the ball. They don’t lose the ball. They don’t hit the ball into another court. They send the ball back. And, you know exactly what to do with it because you can see it coming your way.
So, why do these individuals win at business and at life? They understand 3 important values which are the foundation behind responsiveness.
Respect for Others
Have you ever found yourself crafting an email in the middle of the afternoon where you have carefully thought through every sentence and every word? You proofed it 23 times and even had your spouse read it later that evening. You sleep on it to make sure everything is just right and you send it off first thing the next morning. Fast forward, and it is now the afternoon. No response from the recipient. The next day…still no response. End of the week…still no response.
What is your emotion in all of these moments? Rejection, perhaps? Anger? Resentment? Or even disrespect? Those who don’t practice responsiveness are displaying (intentional or unintentional) disrespect for others. The simple lesson here is to be more respectful by being more responsive.
Respect for Themselves
Time is your most precious asset. When you spend it, you don’t get it back. That’s why it is critical to block out time for yourself and your loved ones. You would think that these people who practice responsiveness never spend time with their friends and family because they are constantly replying to emails and messages at all hours of the day but the opposite is true. Their intentionality with auto responses, templates, and other strategic tools has provided them with the bandwidth they need to spend time with family or doodling on something outside of work. They have mastered how to be communicative without always being connected.
Respect for Organizations
Let’s face it. Most of us are employees. We aren’t launching a start-up and we aren’t entrepreneurs. We work for a larger organization and that company pays for our house, our kid’s college, and the fancy cars in our driveway. You are their investment, and they desire a return on that investment. Those who climb the corporate ladder fast understand this reality and practice responsiveness to help accelerate their personal chase or cause because they know it generates results for them and the organization because of the reasons outlined above.
Responsiveness is what separates the winners from the losers. It’s just the reality of success. If you respond to someone, they will feel heard. When you feel heard, you feel appreciated. When you feel appreciated, you want to give back. It’s how relationships work, and relationships build great businesses.
