Capturing the Conversation with Active Listening

SHOW NOTES:

On this show…we’re staying engaged and committed to paying attention as we work to capture the conversation with active listening. The need to be heard is one of the most powerful motive forces in human nature. But who’s really listening….do you need me to repeat it? I said, who is listening? The world is full of distractions. A distraction that we create, technology in the hand, in front of our face, on our wrist, and in the background all while we are trying to navigate a busy life. The distraction that assaults us from every angle, marketers, popping ads, automatic video starts, commercials, deals, special offers…UGH, it’s all too much! How can you cut through the noise and focus on one person and one conversation? 

I always thought I was a good listener. You know a shoulder to cry on, someone to vent to, and brainstorm with. But I wasn’t aware of the difference between listening and active listening until I became a coach. In sales, it helps to listen but you find yourself weeding through the information looking for pain points and buying signals so that you can capitalize on them. In a general conversation, you’re listening long enough to find commonality so that you can respond with something in the same context. A volley of sorts. Your friend says “This weekend we’re going to a concert…” Your brain hears WEEKEND and you start thinking about what you’re doing that weekend or CONCERT and which concerts you’ve seen and which ones you want to see so that when it’s your turn, you can return the volley with an interesting and relatable story. But just think, what did you miss while you were formulating your response?

At mindtools.com I found an introduction to Active Listening

and how to Hear What People are Really Saying

Adam Hayes explored the The Human Attention Span found on wyzowl.com

Johann Hari explains how Your attention didn’t collapse. It was stolen

Social media and many other facets of modern life are destroying our ability to concentrate. We need to reclaim our minds while we still can - found at theguardian.com

Over at Simon Sinek’s youtube channel I found a different perspective: The Art of Listening 

CHALLENGE: don’t just turn on your listening ears but really commit to dialing into a conversation as you seek to understand. Everyone wants a chance to be heard so receive before you give.

 

I Know YOU Can Do It!