Azim Premji
Azim Premji said something very simple in yesterday’s newspaper that I wanted to share.
He said “Respond, don’t react”.
The difference between the two is subtle, but it is immense, and too often I see people reacting when they should be responding.
A response is thought through, calculated, and well-communicated. You have realized the implications of what is being said. You have evaluated the alternatives before you. You have chosen the best alternative. And you have communicated that clearly and are in control of the discussion and likely to meet your objectives.
When you react, you have slipped from the territory of logic into the territory of emotion. You have effectively given up control because you have had an emotional response which you have communicated without having thought through implications and choices. You have brought in elements like ego, temper, frustration and myriad other emotions that will never help you fulfill your objectives.
Whether it’s working with colleagues or performance appraisals or actions by competitors or the personality of the person across the table, too often people react when they should respond.
A heightened awareness of the difference will help us at Globosport achieve a lot more.
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