Listening

READY... “It is the province of knowledge to speak, and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen.”  ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

AIM…  “Why can’t you just listen to me?”  Ugh!  It’s extremely frustrating to me when my children do not listen when told to do something.  Most days I just feel like the only thing coming out of my mouth is the droning sound of the teacher in Charlie Brown comics, “Whaa – Whaah,  Whaa – Whaah – Whaah.”  (I know you just sounded that out so you could recall the voice yourself.  LOL!)  But seriously, I just want my words to be heard and acknowledged.

It is just as frustrating, if not moreso, when adults don’t listen.  Humans have an innate need to be heard; whether it is to voice an opinion or to provide instruction. However, the receiver of that information must decide to hear what you are saying. Your need to be heard will never override a person’s decision to hear what you are saying. After all, we can choose to listen to music with explicit lyrics, or we can choose not to listen to our co-workers gossip.  We can choose to listen to the sounds of birds singing in the morning, or we can choose not to listen to the cricket chirping in the corner of the basement.  Listening can be good and listening can be, well, not so great.  What we do with what we hear makes all the difference too.

So, are you a good listener?  When having conversation with another person, do you look him in the eye?  Are you engaged in the details of her story or do you check out and look around the room?  If you desire to be heard when you speak, I urge you to become a good listener to others.  Perhaps you will find they will return the favor. (Now, how can I convince my kids to LISTEN to my advice??)

FIRE!  Today, instead of checking your email, texts or Facebook updates on your smart phone, give your friends, family members and colleagues your full and undivided attention.  You’ll be surprised at the positive connections made through this simple act of respect and good listening skills.

Be Excellent!

Lori

Hit The Mute Button

READY… “A wise old owl sat on an oak; The more he saw the less he spoke; The less he spoke the more he heard; Why aren't we like that wise old bird?” ~ Anonymous

AIM… A friend of mine recently had an experience where she was trying to explain a difficult situation to a gal on the phone from another company. The other gal kept interrupting her and simply wasn’t getting the gist of the scenario my friend was trying to help her understand. At that moment, when she was most frustrated and the lady on the other end of the line was starting to get belligerent, my friend wished she could just reach across the phone line and hit her mute button. Then the other woman couldn’t be heard anymore and would have no other choice but to listen to my friend’s instructions and truly hear the points she was missing.

Effective communication is SO important in our daily lives. We must remember that being a good communicator isn’t always being a good talker or being the chattiest; being a good listener is even more important. If only we would remember to be a good listener first, perhaps our conversations with our family, friends, co-workers and even those pesky bill collectors would be less volatile and kinder because we properly HEARD what they wanted to say, before we responded in defense. Next time you are having a heated discussion and wish you could hit the mute button, pause and just listen to the other person; then ask him to please listen to you completely before he makes any comments in return. More than likely, you will have both calmed down and effective communication will be achieved.

FIRE!   Be an excellent listener. The next time someone wants to tell you a story, stop and really listen to him; look him in the eyes and give him your full attention. Let him tell you all the details before you even make a remark. He will definitely feel your care and concern, and you will be amazed at how much of the world you have been missing.

Be Excellent!
Lori