Speak As If Someone Is Listening

I was riding in an uber with my wife long ago and noticed our conversation took on a strange tone. Without any planning, we both began to speak with half our minds taking the point of view of the driver. It’s hard to describe, but you’d know it if this has happened to you.

It reminds me of a line from Seneca: “Live among men as if God beheld you; speak with God as if men were listening”

Our minds are great. With each new person that enters a room we can immediately adjust what we say to accommodate a level of empathy for how that person will understand or react to what we are saying.

Recently my manager and tech lead are only coming to two standups per week. The other three standups are markedly different. With less people in the room and no manager it’s easier to open up and express oneself in a clear manner. If you don’t have an open space like this for your team, I do highly recommend finding it.