Be Cool............and Listen!
If you search “listening” on the internet, you will find countless articles with great tips and ideas to listen better. No matter what you read, listening is a big challenge but it’s so important! Why it’s tough to listen. Many times we are distracted by what is happening around us that we disengage from the conversation. Perhaps other people are talking around us or walking by and interrupts our focus. Other distractions might be that we are thinking of things we need to do later in the day; grocery shopping, paying bills, homework, laundry and countless other duties. And yet, another distraction is within ourselves; we might be thinking of what we want to say next that we just don’t listen. What does listening have to do with communication? Everything! I used to believe I was listening intently to others on a regular basis because I could remember “bits and pieces” of a conversation. However, that WAS the problem! I realized I was “hearing” (sound of their voice) and not “liste...