I had to work hard at listening and it started by admitting I wasn't as good as I thought I was. The first step to changing my listening behaviours started the moment I admitted I needed to change. As long as I kept blaming others, I would never do what I had to do to improve.
One of the most difficult things to do is to admit you don't listen well. Oh, I know you think you know what the other person is saying. I know you're too busy so you're trying to save time. I know you're good at listening when things are going well. But what about when you're in conflict? Or when you disagree with the other person?
You have selective hearing, selective understanding, and selective retention. This means you'll hear what you want to hear to support what you believe to be true. You'll interpret what was said to conform with your beliefs and you'll remember just waht you thought you'd hear.
My point is, admit you don't listen as well as you could, so you can become better at listening.
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