A few days ago, a friend of mine asked me the exact same simple question three times within one ten-minute conversation. The third time she asked me the question, she also said, “I know I’ve asked you this question already several times, but I have so much going on inside my head that I can’t remember your answer.” We have all experienced this type of interaction in some way with our teammates, peers, colleagues, friends, and family. Often during interactions, we are consumed by inner chatter as we prepare for what we will say when the other person stops talking or as we think about something on our “To Do” list.
Turn down the volume on your inner chatter. In fact, when you truly want to listen to someone, turn your inner chatter OFF. When you do this in the workplace, with your colleagues and team members, it can have an incredible impact. To see for yourself, try it out for one week during every interaction you have with members of your team. Key learnings will be abundant, relationships will grow, and you will truly be wearing your listening ears!
