In One Ear And Out The Other

In One Ear Out The Other

Do you listen to respond or listen to understand? While many books are written about how to get your point across, effective communication is about transmitting and receiving messages as close to the intended meaning as possible. What caused the deterioration of the intended meaning? You.

Communication is like a two-way street filled with loud and distracting traffic, barriers, and blockades. Imagine that you are on one side of that street, and the person trying to speak with you is on the other side. Neither of you can cross, and you are trying to get messages back-and-forth.

In reality, that street noise represents the many barriers created by your personal perspectives and filters that you have been accumulating your entire life. Unfortunately, they often interfere with your ability to clearly understand or clearly transmit a message.

So... How do we get from this noisy, busy street to better understanding?

The first step in truly listening is learning how to get out of your own way. The roadmap to becoming an effective communicator lies within.