While every interaction is a type of communication, I am learning to be direct, deliberate and clear when I speak.
In my day job, it is not uncommon to speak with forty different people during an eight hour workday.
Each person doesn’t hear what I say they screen what I say through their personal history and life experiences.
When we choose honest and clear communication, we increase our chances of making personal and professional improvements.
When we are determined to create wonderful lives and kick some serious butt in 2016, we do not allow confusion to remain.
We share, experience and demand clarity at each gathering and interaction.
We can always choose to stop communication, think about what’s has been said and ask for things to be repeated.
Most of don’t communicate well because we have not made this a priority nor have we, en masse, mastered the fine art of truly, deeply listening to one another.
We wait for the other person to shut up or their voice to trail off so that we can jump in to correct, offer suggestions or recant a similar experience of our own.
We look for inconsistencies or lies and play detective.
Be a true ally.
Try listening with your heart and not a mind that has no use for fresh, innovative perspectives.
If you’re making a decision while I’m talking, you ain’t listening.
At my day job, I am constantly tasked with heart listening.
Heart listening means I am not sending emails, texting or otherwise engaged no matter how busy I am or what needs to be done.
Here’s a solution:
For the next week, put on a great piece of music that you’ve heard a bazillion times and listen with a different set of ears (heart listen).
I tried this once with Stevie Wonder’s Talking Book and heard some things I had never heard before and was brought to tears.
I now proclaim this the year of heart listening and incredible change.
When we really listen, we will be shocked at what we can learn and how similar we are.
Rather than listening to judge, listen to love. Increase your compassion and dare to listen without distractions and agendas.
When I was jazz/blues singer, my teacher was constantly ranting about “opening our ears” and allowing this experience to take hold of us and change us.
I suggest you do the same.