Are You Really Available?

Are you available? It’s so easy to answer yes to this question. Our intention is to be available but many times we send signals that say something very different.

“My door is always open.”

An open door doesn’t represent an open mind. Keeping your office door open is nice, but it’s meaningless if engaging in conversation with you is difficult. It’s not the door that stops people from coming to you, it’s the closed mind, the I know everything mind, the non-listening mind or the I’m too busy mind.

“If they need me they’ll call me.”

Sometimes being available is best represented when we are proactive with reaching out to others. If I’m expecting my team, family or clients to reach out to me then I’m only available when it might be too late.

So many things tend to compete with our available mindset. When you are engaged in a conversation, consider what you do when:

• your phone rings
• you get a text message alert
• emails start blowing up
• your to-do list gets longer and longer
• your personal life is stressful

Real Availability

Being available means being open, willing, present, approachable to others, in the moment, listening, empathizing and providing. Providing? Yes, we are to provide our silence, our input, our time, our care and our desire to serve the other person.

Who should we be available for? Well here’s a quick checklist for me. I’m sure you will have more to add! Am I available for:

• my God?
• my spouse?
• my children?
• my teammates?
• a person in need?
• my quiet time?
• my health?
• my clients?
• myself?

The word AVAILABLE is two words put together. Avail, which means to be of use, to be of value, to serve, help, to profit, and able, which means to have the necessary skill, qualifications or talent.

So, our question to ponder is: Do we have the talent or skillset to be of value or to serve others?

If so, then you and those around you will profit.