Listening to understand

Image by Couleur from Pixabay

One thing prominently stood out in a weekend leadership retreat: we must be more empathetic and listen to our customers and stakeholders. The question is, why don't we listen? It's because there's too much happening in our heads. We are busy preparing our responses, eager to express our opinions and often totally miss what the other person is trying to say. When locked up in our chatter, we are less aware and pay lesser attention to the other person. Mindfulness builds our capacity to pause and be more aware. By being more aware and pausing, we can tune in with the other person and listen patiently.

I think this is an essential skill. We constantly interact with multiple stakeholders, and in an attempt to express ourselves, we forget to engage and listen. Mindfulness practices are crucial to building our capacity to pause and connect with others meaningfully.