I like to talk. Often I like to talk a lot. I was reflecting on this as our Sunday running group sat outside last weekend where two friends were respectfully listening to a third.
To truly communicate, you need to build your listening skills far more than your speaking ones. Cultivating great listening skills by focusing on:
Speak Less: Nature gave us two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. Watch yourself as you speak. Do you speak more than 50% of the time?
Respond: Do you react to people’s comments even before they are finished? Let the person you are listening to finish what they have to say. Take a long, slow, and deep breath before you respond. If you notice a lot of emotions coming up, defer your response or at least dial back the energy in what you say. If you react emotionally in a way that makes people feel they are being attacked, they will stop sharing.
Respect: Cultivate different points of view in your business. Respect the diversity of points of view to the challenges that you face. Debate by talented people who can respectfully listen and respond to each other will lead to great solutions. Foster an environment that encourages people to provide alternate points of view.
Hearing people means listening more than you speak. What will you do today to encourage the people you work with to speak and be heard?
