Sunday Story…The Gift

Of listening…deeply and completely.  Listening without planning or plotting a response. Listening to the words said and the words unsaid without agenda or expectation is a gift for both of you.

 

Way too often we listen with half our attention applied to formulating the answer. This is especially true when we are having hard or confronting conversations. The more I feel like I need to defend my position the less likely I am to be fully engaged in the listening.

 

The real problem is when I do this I am liable to miss the greatest import of the message. I am doing a disservice to both of us. The speaker isn’t heard and I am not receiving the message.  Then guess what happens? This process repeats itself over and over again until we are no longer on the same page. I am answering you about messages you never sent and you are doing the same back to me. Small wonder human communication is so easy to get messed up.

 

Try this next time you are having a conversation. Look at the person speaking and concentrate fully on the words they are saying. Let each word permeate your brain. Then instead of responding ask if you can tell them what you heard them say? If they agree, tell them what you heard them say and ask if you were correct. If you were then you can formulate your response. A response that will reflect the fact that you heard what was being communicated and responded to that communication.

 

Listening deeply and completely is a gift to both the speaker and listener.

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412