When we listen TO someone, we hear what they are saying, and we often miss WHY they are saying it. The meaning behind the words reveals who the person is being in that moment. Are they frustrated or hopeful, determined or resigned? Are they focused on positive choices or stuck in negative thinking based on past experiences?
WHY we do what we do is often based on our past experiences. Sometimes this puts limits on the way we think and act in the moment. That’s why a person might express a goal or an intention, then do something different, maybe even making a decision counterproductive to what they’ve expressed as a goal. We don’t do this because we’re foolish or shortsighted. We behave this way when who we’re being is not in line with what we’re thinking.
When you listen FOR who someone is being, rather than TO what they are saying, you’re listening as a gift. When you listen FOR someone, it’s a way you’re being, a contribution to that person. Listening TO someone will reveal what they’re saying, leaving you, the listener, trying to decode that message. Sometimes, that creates miscommunication and misunderstanding that may not be revealed until much later. Listening FOR someone, puts the focus on who that person is being as they say what they are saying: Are they in the present? Are they looking ahead, or are they stuck, making decisions based on their past?
When we listen FOR someone, we are giving up what we think about what they are saying. This allows a connection to form, and we both enter into a spirit of harmony.
When you listen FOR who someone is being, rather than TO what they are saying, you’re listening as a gift. When you listen FOR someone, it’s a way you’re being, a contribution to that person. Listening TO someone will reveal what they’re saying, leaving you, the listener, trying to decode that message. Sometimes, that creates miscommunication and misunderstanding that may not be revealed until much later. Listening FOR someone, puts the focus on who that person is being as they say what they are saying: Are they in the present? Are they looking ahead, or are they stuck, making decisions based on their past?
When we listen FOR someone, we are giving up what we think about what they are saying. This allows a connection to form, and we both enter into a spirit of harmony.
4 questions to prepare you for your next big opportunity
In recounting stories of their success, people often say that one opportunity changed the trajectory of their life. We hear it all the time: on awards shows, after sporting events, during graduation speeches. Someone, at some point, was presented with an...
5 questions every employee wants their boss to ask
Recently, Forbes published a list of 10 Things Only Bad Bosses Say. While most of us have ‘bad boss experiences’ in the past, so we may relate, this article got me thinking about some of the things great leaders say to inspire and motivate their teams....
What Richard Branson looks for in a leader
Sometimes, as leaders, we feel pulled in two different directions, do we invest our time and energy in our employees or our customers? While it’s easy to say “both,” the reality is, we have limits on our time, so one or the other is going to get more of...
Creating an environment that encourages people to lead
In our most recent blogs, we looked at two different real-world customer service scenarios. In one story, both an employee and a manager fumbled a simple service opportunity that nearly cost them a long-time customer. In the next story, one employee chose...
A leader steps up and saves the deal
In our last blog, I shared a friend’s story of what he called “bewilderingly poor customer service,” that left him wondering why neither the employee nor the manager seemed to know how to fix the problem … or felt empowered to do so. Today’s story begins...
A customer service miscue leaves a lasting impression
In our last blog, we talked about the importance of investing in our team members personally, as well as professionally, and what that means for our organization. In this blog, I want to share a story about what can happen when leadership focuses on skills...
0 Comments