Communication Tools Tucked Away in an Old File
In October of 2020, the HMA team packed up our things and became a virtual office. I had a hard time parting with the things one collects over the years. As a result, there were a few boxes in storage.
As Scott prepares for his retirement it was time to return to storage and get my stuff. Over the weekend, I flipped through books, sorted through pictures and letters, and stumbled across a few things I didn’t even know I had.
One such thing was a double-sided card, called “Communicate FACE2FACE,” a promotional piece from Sean Williams, of Communication AMMO.
One side of the card talks about listening skills, the other about communication.
How to listen to your audience. According to Sean, in order to listen, you need to HEAR what others have to say:
H-Honor others and what they say to you
E-Echo what they say to make sure you understand what they intend
A-Ask questions, probe, inquire, draw them out
R-Respond without defensiveness, anger or ego.
In order to listen effectively, you have to:
- Ask questions
- Judge content, not delivery
- Don’t interrupt
- Listen for the most important point
- Honor what others say
- Avoid distractions
- Seek clarity and relevance
- Don’t get emotional
Seems obvious, right? But most of us don’t really listen. We’re generally focused on what we’re going to say next, rather than what the person we are conversing with is actually saying. That’s when misunderstandings occur, where what we think and what is happening don’t always align.
As the new year approaches, perhaps a commitment to really HEAR what others are saying should be on your resolutions list.
