ARoundTuit Organizing & Productivity

For most people, it’s frustrating to talk with someone who interrupts.  Even people who enjoy fast, excited conversations may feel short-changed by the interruptions. 

Because it is impossible to think two things at the  same time (go ahead and try if you want), we can not at once listen and formulate a response.  What often happens is that something someone says creates a gut emotional reaction fur us, which comes out like a missle, without warning.  Other times, we actually tune out the speaker in order to formulate our response, which we state just as soon as the speaker is done.  While this is not interrupting per se, it is not listening either.   

You can probably think of one or two people in your circles who are exceptionally enjoyable to talk with, no matter what the subject, and whether you agreed or disagreed.  Very likely, what made you feel so good was that the person simply listened to you and gave you a thoughtful response.

People who listen are focused on understanding.  They stop what they were doing before you started talking, and make eye contact with you.  They pause their own thoughts, and concentrate on yours.  You may hear a significant pause before they first respond to what you said.  People who listen respond with validation, because they are primarily concerned with understanding before responding.

How does this affect productivity?  Plenty of time and energy is wasted every day due to miscommunications and unclear expectations (“but I thought you said/wanted/thought..”).  The obvious first: good listening promotes better understanding and hence, fewer misunderstandings.  Second, good listening improves morale.  After all, who doesn’t want to be heard?

This week, try to become a better listener.  Concentrate on what your partners in conversation are saying, and ignore your gut feelings and the litte voice that wants to cut them off and react.  When the speaker is done, that’s your time to take to formulate a response. 

Let me know how this works for you!