As I'm getting settled into my new job, I wanted to take an opportunity to speak with the head of our office (my supervisor's supervisor - or senior rater). I had an opportunity to speak with my supervisor, but I also wanted to ensure I can capture the vision the head of our office has established for our section. (My supervisor will be away for several months.) As I asked for a time to meet for the coming week, he quickly closed the door and asked if I had time...and I said my time was his time and we pressed forward.

With a dry erase marker in one hand and a steady gaze on the drawing board, he explained the principles of our office from its basic (very basic) beginnings. I wondered why he went started at such an introductory level and I soon realized his intent. He wasn't trying to insult my intelligence (or anything like that); he was tying the many concepts of our career field together with the purposes of the organization, its decision makers, our office, and his principles and vision. He wanted me to understand the broad scope of our responsibilities for those in higher positions and see how we play an important role in their ability to operate efficiently.

What really struck me about our meeting was how committed he was to our conversation. Throughout our meeting, the phone rang several times. From my previous experiences, my superior would pause and answer the phone, but not him. He let the phone ring each time without any hesitation or concern. He took the time to share his vision to one of his subordinates. Even though I learned a lot about my current duty position, I learned even more about leadership and dealing with people.

• How many conversations do we have in a day and allow outside influences to interrupt and distract us? (There are some important exceptions to this.)
• Do we really give people our full attention?
• Do people know we respect their time and will give them all we have?
• Where do you stand?

The next time you have a conversation with someone, think about what you can do to 'hold that call.'