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Does what you hear go in one ear and out the other?
Someone’s telling you about a problem they’re having at work. They stop to ask your advice. You realize you can’t recall most of the facts you were just given. Panic! Why do we have two ears? At times, it seems one ear acts as the entrance door and the other ear an exit. Why does this happen? What if we’re accountable for what we’ve heard? How does this affect our communication with others? Are we truly listening to begin with? Maybe we heard it and it’s just not sticking.
There are many outside factors that impact our ability to accept and store information. We may let go of some information as a way of handling emotional triggers. The issue may not be that this happens, rather what we do when it does. Do we have the courage to speak up and admit we’re unable to remember what we were told? We reflect empathy and respect when we choose to listen well. This models positive behavior. Active listening is an art. Though our efforts to be Michelangelo may leave us closer to a paint-by-numbers, we can celebrate our attempt to treat every word we heard as important.
Imagine... holding yourself accountable for every word a person says to you in every conversation.
Group Activity:
Try This – The Recap: Have someone read a brief story aloud from a magazine or book to the rest of the group. Ask a member of the group to stand and give a recap of the story they heard. Compare the facts and details to the original story.
- Was the recap accurate?
- Did any of the detail or facts get lost or change in the retelling?
- What does this teach us about how we accept and process incoming information?
Individual Reflection:
- How does it make you feel when others are not listening to what you say?
- Have you ever experienced information going in one ear and out the other?
- What factors do you think attributed to this?
- How did you deal with it?
- How do you clear your mind and stay focused on what is being said?
- Do you ever use tools to help you retain information such as a tape recorder, note tablet or …?
"A good listener influences the conversation."
– Gene Salvadalena
The Charmm’d Foundation would like to thank Sue Laue, Coach for Social Emotional Learning for pondering with us this week!