how to Becoming an Analyst of People
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If it’s as easy as I’m suggesting to read other people, how come not everybody is doing it? Surely we would all be checking off mental lists at the beginning of every interaction and proving ourselves effective communicators every single time? Obviously, that’s not the case, or there would never be a single misunderstanding. A good analyst must possess certain traits in order for their skills to work in the field. So, before we begin to develop those skills, let’s first concentrate on who you, the analyst, must become. Some of these traits will come to you more naturally than others because, just like every other human being, you are unique. To be effective, however, you will need to hone these skills to a fine point:
First, you must be good at paying attention to details. You need to spot the little things just as quickly as you do the big ones. If you think this skill needs work, try taking a walk down a familiar road near your home. Let your eyes wander across every surface in every direction, drilling down to the littlest of details as well as drinking in the view as a whole. How many things did you notice that you have never spotted before? How many times were you surprised by an entire building you’ve never noticed, signs of decay you hadn’t picked up or little features that hadn’t caught your attention? The more you try this exercise, in both unfamiliar places and locations you thought you knew like the back of your hand, the more you will hone your attention to detail.
Second, you must become an observer. That means knowing you are not here to change what you are looking at, you are only here to catalog and understand it. The only thing in this picture that you can or should try to change is your own role within it. Before you can do that, you must observe fully and deeply and gather all the information you can.
Third, you must set aside any instinct to judge. Placing a value on cruelty versus kindness, laziness versus drive or passivity versus forcefulness will not help you here. Accept that people are who they are and that it is not your place to try to change that. Let go of your emotional reaction to these traits – you must be objective to be a good analyst.
Finally, learn to listen. Some of us are better at this than others. Begin your practice now: the next time you hold a conversation with someone, avoid every temptation to speak. Just listen. Obviously, it wouldn’t be a conversation if you stayed completely silent, but try to keep the emphasis on what that person wants to tell you and your own contributions all about encouraging them to keep talking. Ask questions, ask for clarifications, simply make noises and gestures of acknowledgement. Maintain eye contact and really listen to what they are saying. The more you do this, the more you will learn from them – and the more they will appreciate being listened to.