Conversation by Patrick Bohnen (Photo credit: Kraemer Family Library)
Those without hearing impairment can hear, but are they listening? Ear buds allow the outside world to be ignored and an entire new world of escape to tune in.
When you speak with someone face to face, you can tell if they’re listening or distracted. It’s pretty easy, and then when the phone vibrates in the pocket, that instant intake of breath and dart of the eyes take focus from a conversation and onto a device. Onlookers can see the internal question posed by brain waves — who’s calling, emailing, texting, pinging?
How do you listen?
Can you hear a conversation on the phone and tune in without multi-tasking? Do you focus entirely on the caller and give him or her undivided attention? How do you listen to your kids’ stories from school — the drama among BFFs or the playground battles that are so critical to the kidlets?
Listening to clients means you can provide better services and deliverables and work product. Listening to conversation means you can create blog fodder like this (inspired by a phone conversation). Listening intently means you listen with purpose, and what that breeds is respect.
Next time you’re having a meeting or gathering with anyone and you’re face to face, please give that person your undivided attention. They deserve that courtesy and you deserve to be respected.
Listening is the product of communication. We’re creating a society of non-communicators especially amongst millennials and teenagers. Parents are to blame, and today’s youth are this nation’s business future.
When you listen, do this:
1. Shake hands to get the tactile going. If you’re not IRL, then ask a question about the caller’s well being to personalize.
2. Look people in the eye when speaking.
3. Keep all hands on deck and out of pockets or purses; that iPhone is not going to sprout legs and run away.
4. Hear what people are saying by tuning in.
5. Respond in kind and with meaning; and I mean FOR REAL.
6. Erase all invasive thoughts from that moment and focus.
7. End with a smile and a thank you.
What think? Resonate?
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