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Daily Thought
“Listening is an art that requires attention over talent, spirit over ego, others over self.” - Dean Jackson
Let’s Discuss
When I stepped into podcasting and faced an unexpected challenge.
Our conversations are like a tennis match.
A question is asked. A response is given.
Back and forth.
But they lack depth. They're superficial.
We're conditioned to respond, not to truly listen.
Dean Jackson said it best: “Listening is an art that requires attention over talent, spirit over ego, others over self.”
Better listening enhances:
Sales
Relationships
Leadership
Overall life quality
And frankly, we're not great at it.
Here are 5 strategies that improved my communication:
The Ladder of Inference (Bias)
We often jump to conclusions, bypassing critical thinking.
This leads to misunderstandings and poor decisions.
We need to analyze our thought process more carefully.
Climbing down this ladder helps reduce bias and opens up our perspective.
The Five Whys
Asking "why" five times can be revealing.
It exposes underlying assumptions.
It helps avoid surface-level solutions.
Stay curious and avoid judgment.
Keep probing to uncover the real issues.
Affective Frame
This approach is used in education.
By understanding why a conversation matters to us, we stay more engaged.
In longer discussions, remind yourself of this purpose.
It helps maintain focus and interest.
Signal vs. Noise
Identify the core message - that's your signal.
Everything else is just noise.
Our problem is not just with listening, but also with being clear in our expression.
Strive for clarity and simplicity.
Avoid unnecessary jargon.
Focus on conveying one key idea at a time.
The Pareto Principle
Not every topic needs to be covered in every conversation.
80% of impactful results often come from 20% of the effort.
Prioritize the challenging topics.
Engage in difficult conversations.
Ask the deeper questions.
That's where the real progress happens.
Time is a limited resource.
We have only so many hours to communicate effectively each day.
Focus on the most challenging parts of a discussion.
Embrace the discomfort.
Be the one to ask tough questions.
Make every conversation meaningful.
Change your approach to communication, and you'll change how you connect and grow with