It could sound like this. “The crux of what I heard in that story is that making a difference is very important to you, so that’s what I am going to write in this step of your staircase.” Write it down and ask, “Whats Important About making a difference To You? This should send the message that there is not room for an entire story in the box. Most people catch on and become more succinct as they move up the staircase. If and when they don’t, say something like, “I appreciate that there are probably many stories that we can discuss related to each question about what’s important to you. Unfortunately we only have an hour for our entire meeting today. I don’t want you to feel rushed to answer and, by the same token, there is no need to discuss all of these stories today. With that in mind, What’s important about the-last-answer… to you?
There is a certain art to learning to manage the time in a conversational way. The more you do this the better you will become. Remember, you have embarked on a journey that will elevate you to being a brilliant communicator. There’s no shortcut to having a black belt in anything.
When you come to the Academy you get to work with black belts. You can become a black belt also, but you must do the work. Nobody can bestow a black belt on you. It can only be earned.
