The Talmud says ” The highest form of wisdom is kindness”
Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for someone is to listen. Death and life are in the power of the tongue…
·Force yourself to ask questions.
·Slow down your ‘thinking’ rate. We think at 500 words a minute and talk at 150.
That is why our minds wander. Stay focused.
·Listen for the theme. Get the key issues.
·Use key words as memory aids. Identify key words and use them as memory stimulators.
·Rearrange the information that you hear. Organize it in a way that is logical for you.
·Take notes-we talk with so many people that you must write things down to remember them all. One of my favorite quotes is: “no matter how sharp your mind, it is still weaker than the palest ink. Keep refining your listening skills. These tools and techniques may sound simple, yet the challenge lies in the execution.
·Create value with every contact and connection-you do this by active listening.
Here is another thought to ponder-what is the ‘secret and mindful’ word in the word listen? It is ‘silent’. That is what your mind must be in order to really actively listen to another person and to do that properly-it is impossible to multi task.
Effective listening takes work yet the rewards are great!
Someone sent me a note last year that his favorite quote about the ‘tongue’ was from a writer who compares the effect on our lives of our tongue to a rudder, which steers a huge ship, or a forest fire, which is started by a small spark. Take a look:
“Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, a ship is steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, yet makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark”.
Interesting thoughts to ponder. Make this month one where you will really listen and also be careful what comes out of your mouth when you do talk. I often look at the plaque in my office that says: “The most successful people, if examined would often have teeth marks on their tongue!’ “A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he/she gets to know something.” Wilson Mizner