In One Ear and Out the Other

Do you listen to respond or listen to understand? While many books are written about how to get your point across, effective communication is about transmitting and receiving messages as close to the intended meaning as possible. What causes the deterioration of the intended meaning? You. Real-world communication can be compared to standing on a two-way street filled with loud and distracting traffic. Imagine that you are on one side of that street, but the person trying to speak with you is on the other side. There are barriers and blockades so that neither of you can cross, and you are trying to get messages back and forth. In reality, this represents the many barriers created by your personal perspectives and filters that you have been accumulating your entire life. Unfortunately, this often interferes with your ability to clearly understand or clearly transmit your message. So... how do we get from this noisy, busy street to better understanding? The first step in truly listening is learning how to get out of your own way. The roadmap to become an effective communicator lies within.