How well do you listen?

Every single one of us wants to be heard, and if we don’t start truly listening to each other, we will continue to be disconnected in this ever-growing online world. When you start having deeper, more meaningful conversations, I promise your relationships, connection, and network will grow. And good conversations start with the willingness to listen. So what does it mean to be a good listener?

When you do a google search for “types of listening,” you’ll find many different styles, levels, and names, but to me, it essentially boils down to a few scenarios:

(1) Pretending to listen, but your thoughts are elsewhere

(2) Listening in order to respond with your own story/experience

(3) Actually listening without your own agenda

(4) Listening to understand the other person’s scenario/situation/story more deeply, perhaps with empathy

We all float through these levels throughout the day and depending on the situation, one type may be more appropriate than the other. Take a moment to consider - do you spend more time in levels 1 & 2, or do you gravitate towards 3 & 4?

In today’s society, it can be easy to sit in level 1 & 2, because we don’t teach listening skills in school and our culture is much more focused on “me” than “you.” But when we shift into curiosity, to search for a greater level of understanding, we can have more powerful, productive, and effective conversations… this is how connection is created.

This week, I challenge you to sit more in levels 3 and 4 when you’re in a conversation or a meeting. This means putting away distractions, asking questions to clarify or go deeper to the root of the problem, asking “tell me more about that,” or simply saying “I hear you” or “what can I do to help/support you?” Taking yourself out of the equation for a bit (as conversations require participation from both parties lol) can open up an entire new world to explore or something new to learn.

And, in the spirit of listening… I want to know, how has listening changed your life? Where do you think you can improve? What am I forgetting?

#listening #connection #networking #relationships