Nourish Relationships - Listen more than you talk
I mentioned earlier the story of a friend at a dinner party who did not offer any information about himself, but simply asked other guests questions, and everyone he came into contact with raved about what a great dinner guest he was. People love to talk for the most part; in general, they love to talk about themselves. Now, I hate trying to live up to this one; as I am extremely extroverted and struggle with listening more than talking. I have to challenge myself with it every day, and most days I fail miserably! But, by reflecting quietly on what people say, and asking them pointed questions after actively listening, I add way more value to others than just simply giving them vanilla solutions. In fact, most of the time when people come to you with a problem, they are not actually looking for you to solve it for them. Rather, they just want someone to talk to about it. By paying attention and questioning with care, you help them resolve their own issues, while thinking you were instrumental. But all you did was listen. Try it today, and see how you do. Can you listen more than you talk? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
|
|
|
