Seek first to understand, then be understood is habit five of Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. “What training have you had that enables you to listen so you really, deeply understand another human being? Probably none, right?”
Lolly Daskal, author of the Lead from Within blog and hostess of a Twitter chat with the same name, touched on this concept this week in her post, The Art of Listening.
Most people listen with the goal of responding, but listening is really about silence, Lolly wrote.
I often find myself wanting to respond. I have to remind myself to be silent.
Lolly also reminded her readers that listening means not judging, questioning or attempting to fix.
Listening, and truly understanding, is a difficult skill learned only through active practice. It’s also a skill that’s critical for journalists to master.
The essence of listening is in silence:
- Do not judge
- Do not question
- Do not fix
