I learned early on in life that communication is super important. How? By making the mistake of not communicating properly and then suffering the consequences caused by it. Like when I told my Dad I was just going to borrow the car to go get gas, when I should have communicated that I was going to pick up four of my friends, get gas, and then go for a joy ride. I admit, proper communication isn’t always easy, and neither is being honest when you’re young.
I am a lot older now and I have learned something. Being able to clearly communicate your thoughts and ideas in a concise manner will help tremendously in so many different areas of life. Whether you’re trying to deliver an important suggestion to your overly stubborn boss, or trying to explain your feelings of love to your wife, good communication is the single most important factor that will help you succeed. But the problem is that I am often so intent on getting out the thoughts in my head that I don’t truly listen to the thoughts and words of the other person. That’s a mistake because communication has to be a two-way street.
I’ll give you an example. I was talking with a customer at a job site recently, and he was trying to tell me how he wanted me to do the pole inspection project at his site. But instead of listening and considering his ideas, I immediately went to that place in my head where “I know better” and started telling him what I thought should be done before he even finished speaking. That is the essence of poor communication and it’s also inconsiderate on my part.
Shortly after that happened, I left the job site and headed home in my truck. I often listen to talk radio and/or radio sports programs where people call in and ask questions. I heard one caller ask a really difficult question and then he said, “I’ll hang up now and listen to the answer.”
And that got me thinking… From now on, instead of getting so “hung up” on expressing my own thoughts, ideas, and feelings, I am going to try to simply … hang up and listen!
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