What does it take to get your person to listen to you? For Sonia, making eye contact is a way that let’s her know she is being heard. For others, it may be repeating back what is being said and so on.
The question is what are you use to hearing versus what are you currently hearing in that moment. Ask yourself; ‘am I being present, am I listening?’
Often, we hear what sounds familiar and assume what the other person is going to say. But, how many times did you assume wrong? It happens because we are not truly listening in the moment.
What happens when we feel that we are not being heard? We tend to talk louder thinking the words will sink in better. Well, we know that only leads to a shouting match and no one wins. Not that we are keeping score here.
The fix is to listen with new ears and don’t assume. Be patient and be open to the conversation. I promise, the conversation will go smoother.
Make it a point to know what type of communicator your person is; ‘A story teller’ or a ‘just the facts ma’am’ type. Make space to listen to the person you LOVE. Effective communication is important in a relationship.
Seriously, if you want to be heard then learn to be a good listener.
