May 24, 2011 RSS Subscribe

Listen Up - Acknowledge The Other

In our quest to be better listeners we have stopped talking; we have dumped our "monkey chatter"; we are listening to understand by asking good questions – so far so good! Now we need to find a way to acknowledge the other person.

Acknowledgment is an opportunity to let the other person know you have been paying attention and you have heard them. It is about showing respect. It isn’t necessarily about agreement which is what has stopped me in the past – I assumed if I acknowledged someone’s perspective they would think I was agreeing with them. No lawyer wants to do that!

How do you acknowledge someone? By being specific and by summarizing in your own words your understanding of the other person’s perspective. You do this without repeating or parroting back what they have said; and you show empathy (not sympathy) by trying to understand how they are feeling.

Ask Diane: How do I summarize so I don't sound like a parrot?

Diane's Rule: Use phrases like "What I think you are saying is..." or "It sounds like you think..." - This should help you avoid sounding like a bird!

Quote of the Week:

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you make them feel."~ Maya Angelou

This Week's Challenge:

Show respect to someone that you don’t agree with by acknowledging their perspective.

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