[Flash] The Magic of Anything Else?

She distributed postcards that read: “Race. Your thoughts. 6 words. Please send.”

Michelle named it The Race Card Project.

Examples of submissions:

• White female, eager learner, poor listener.
• I am a light-skinned black woman.
• White but grew up as minority.
• My children are black. I’m not.
• Beautiful, brown, and Hawaiian every day.
• Indian, born here but built there.
• He’s my dad, not the gardener.
• Everybody else is potentially a friend.

To broaden her reach and improve the collection of submissions, she created a website: theracecardproject.com.

But Michelle became hungry for more than six words. Like a great journalist, she needed context, the story behind the six words.

So, Michelle added a textbox to the submission page on the site that reads, “Anything else to say?” This simple question prompts people to share their stories, thoughts, and feelings vulnerably.

Michelle reflected in a recent interview, “People are desperate to discuss issues like race from the prism of their personal experiences. In their submission, they write about personal things through their vantage point.”

To date, Michelle has collected more than 500,000 personal narratives from all 50 states and 96 countries.

In 2013, the Race Card Project was awarded the prestigious Peabody Award for excellence in electronic communications for creating a productive dialogue on a complex topic.

What is so magical about “Anything else?”

According to a recent study, asking follow-up questions dramatically increases connection, even among strangers. Follow-up questions cause and convey better listening, understanding, and care.

Another study found that 40% of what we say involves telling people about our subjective experiences—what we think or feel. We really do enjoy talking about ourselves!

By adding the follow-up question, “Anything else to say?” Michelle bonds with strangers, inviting them to do what they are compelled to do already – talk about their experiences.

Similarly, when we mentor, it’s imperative that we connect with our mentees and see what they see. With connection, they will welcome our advice, and by understanding their perspective, our advice avoids irrelevancy.

A simple question can grant us the pause we need—like a speed bump—to create the interaction we want.

Before regaling mentees with a treasure trove of wisdom, let’s deliberately improve our listening, comprehension, and compassion by genuinely inquiring…

“Anything else to say?”

© 2024. Ann Tardy and MentorLead. www.mentorlead.com. All Rights Reserved.