“Every person I work with knows
something better than me. My job
is to listen long enough to find it and use it.” – Jack Nichols
Listening is the gift to speaking.
One of the greatest sensations is being heard and understood by another
human being. It provides us with a sense of value and freedom to express
ourselves. On the other hand, when someone pigeon holes us, we feel impeded and
minimized.
You may know more than the person
speaking to you. Regardless, you don’t
know what they know. Their understanding
may be essential to what you need to complete a project or thought.
Therefore, it is in your best
interest to provide others ample space to contribute. When you listen to people
with the presupposition that you already know what they know or that they have
nothing to offer, you cheat both them and yourself.
We work with people who come from
different backgrounds. Others have interests that seem boring and we listen to
them as assuming they are obstructions. Yet, those same people have valuable perspectives
that you may never develop on your own. Their odd way of viewing the world may
be your missing link and their boring interests may have transferable skills
that you are unable to comprehend.
To remedy this listening
challenge, it seems like all we have to do is incorporate diversity. And yet,
what use is diversity if you still have predetermined people’s ability to
contribute?
Whether you are a manager or a
board member, learn to distinguish the conversations you have with yourself
when you are supposedly listening to others. Do you hear their view, even if it
contrasts with yours? Or are you listening to your own thoughts about how you
will respond to them?
Until you learn to listen to
others and understand enough to know what they know, you will live in a world
that is the size of one person: yourself. Listen with a purpose.
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