I titled this post but mispelled the words and it went like this: ‘What we hav hear is a failure to communicate’, I started laughing, even writing a post about communication brings out the ghosts of miscommunication. I also saw in my mistake a truth about communication which is: What we half hear equals a failure to communicate.
Communication is a 2 way street.
Talking more is not communicating more, but typically hearing more is. It has been said: ‘You have two ears and one mouth, use accordingly.’ I talk a whole lot and listen some. Pretty common in the world today I would say. So we know listening is important, but what about emotional listening? I am not talking about being sensitive or empathetic to people but emotionally listening to people and what they say. For example I am a newlywed and it is crazy how I can be so emotionally involved in the conversation that in my listening I fail to communicate. Making emotional decisions is very rarely good, like extremely rare. Listening emotionally is the same. If you have too much emotion in your listening it will be easy for you to construe the message your hearing.
I am currently involved in a few deals where emotions are running high and it has been very interesting to see how the decision making process is altered by people’s emotions. Everything becomes very serious. Every word is scrutinized too much. Every one seems to be at a breaking point. But the reality is the same as it was months ago before emotions were involved. Emotions take control and play by their own rules. Emotions rule and principles go bye bye.
Lastly, How often do we lack clarity in our explanations? We spend minutes or hours talking to people and leave them without a clear plan of action. We tend to communicate the way we view ourselves, we give ourselves a little more credit than we deserve. If you think you have mastered communication than you are deceived. Clarity is priceless.
So… Use your ears, manage your emotions, and be so clear that you cannot be misunderstood.
Leave a comment, do you agree? disagree? Let me know either way. Thank you for checking it out.
More to come…
Nice post man. It’s funny how a lot of people think communication plays such a big role in business relationships.
Communication plays a role in all of our relationships.
I never really thought about emotional listening. When you put it that way, I realized that’s exactly how I listen. It’s pretty frustrating at times.
Again, great post and insight as always.