“You don't step straight up to the front of the ATM line. You don't cut in front of people at the ticket desk. You take your turn. You can learn great life lessons from board games.”
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The character of a person is in plain sight for everyone to see when they are faced with a choice -- for example, waiting in line or stepping right up to the front of the queue in Oldman's quote. How people act (or react) shows you what they value.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is one of my favorite Gary Oldman movies, possibly one of his best roles.
It takes you a second viewing to realize he is the protagonist and yet he has not said a word for several frames when we first meet him. Yet that silence speaks volumes about the story unfolding before your eyes. Here's the full review by Roger Ebert#. Regardless of what you think of the plot and screenplay, Oldman played his role magnificently... he waits his turn in every frame -- he is George Smiley.
If only acting were that real in real life. Despite the multitude of channels and tools, clear communication is taking a beating; second place in a culture that favors the sensational, the indirect, the automated, and the expedient.
Clear communication involves taking your turn. It seeks to illuminate rather than obscure. It seeks to connect rather than avoid. It is sincere rather than coy.
It seeks, as agreement is often the greatest form of misunderstanding.
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Valeria is an experienced listener. She designs service and product experiences to help businesses rediscover the value of promises and its effects on relationships and culture. She is also frequent speaker at conferences and companies on a variety of topics. Book her to speak here.