Recently I’ve had a problem with being boring. In fact, I have been more successful at captivating people when talking about the newest tidbit of information I learned about Newton’s history than… business (gasp!).
Being boring is a problem I don’t like having, especially because I so love business (and discussing it). But I think there is something specific happening here, something that happens to all of us. It’s internal rapport. It’s having that first time you learn that new tidbit be amazingly interesting. But after that second or third mulling over, it shifts from that interesting new tidbit to being “just something you know”.
When information turns into “just something you know” you’re boring and people tend not to care. They want to hear or believe someone who is invested and passionate.
A method I am using now is to talk about something I just learned and am passionate about for a few minutes before writing, giving a presentation, or entering into a meeting. Because I am passionate, I find just those few minutes do well to drive me passionately through what I need to do and beyond (Not so much like Buzz Light Year). What do you do?