First impressions count. This Zen story is about gaining full attention for your ideas.
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The following story is told as a Zen koan. Koans are stories which help the reader to see fundamental truths and gain insights.
This particular story is about the importance of need before learning. In other words, really gaining full attention from people requires that you establish their need for what you are saying.
This concept is reflected in the following quote from Vernon Law “Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward.” The fact is, we are so much more open to the lesson when we recognise that we will need it.
Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.
Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring.
The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. “It is overfull. No more will go in!”
“Like this cup,” Nan-in said, “you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”
This basic principle has served me well in two ways:
- It has helped me to ensure that I use a question of some sort to empty the cup before I launch into an explanation or presentation. A pertinent question is key to gaining full attention
- It reminds me how unaware I might be about the state of my own cup. In this way, it helps me to approach things with curiosity rather than judgement
An excellent means of doing this is described in The Pyramid Principle.
Track your progress to ensure the efficacy of this strategy.