“One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say”. –Bryant H. McGill
You’re probably thinking, “I listen to people all day at work,” but do you really? In his book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey poses the question– Do we listen in order to reply or do we listen in order to understand? This is a penetrating question for most of us.
Instead of working to formulate your answer while someone is talking to you, actually listen to what they are saying, imagine how they are feeling, put yourself in their shoes for a moment. If you can learn to do that, you will become a much more effective problem solver, leader, and friend.
This is going to take intentional practice to make this your norm. So try it out for the next week. When someone is talking to you, listen. Really listen. Then take note in the difference in your conversations. This is how you wish people would listen to you, right?