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The powerful skill of listening

Written by: Russell DeWitt

Article Overview: Out of the mouth of babes a lesson is brought concerning the forgotten skill of listening. It is amazing how one small child teaches more in a few moments than what can be gained from hours in a professional seminar. A exercise to be carried out in a small staff meeting is included.

The powerful skill of listening

True story A young father was sitting on the floor fixing an appliance when his four-year-old daughter came into the room.

"Daddy! Guess what we did today! While we were in the..." and on she went with the day's adventures.

Still focused on the appliance, Daddy managed to multitask by offering verbal continuers to his little lamb. "Uh-huh." "That's great, honey." and "Wow, how bout' that?"

Unaware of the sudden silence, he felt two little hands holding the sides of his face. He accommodated the child's efforts to turn his head toward hers. When they locked eyes, she said, "Daddy, I want you to listen to me with your face."

Team exercise:

"What did the four-year-old want from her father?"

"Is the value of multi-tasking more important than what we show a person when (s)he is talking?"

"Today, try doing what the little girl wanted from her daddy each time someone speaks to you."

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Article Tags: little girl, little lamb, multi tasking, nbsp, p daddy, sudden silence, team exercise, true story, two little hands



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