The Power of Being Heard

[featured_image]My family, and particularly my son, has noticed that my hearing is not as good as it used to be. I think he’s right. (Am I actually admitting this?)

Last night, he asked me why I don’t hear very well.

I told him it was because I listened to music too loud on my dad’s Sony Walkman in 1980. I used to blast the music directly into my ears and I believe I suffered damage to my hearing.

As a result, I find myself trying to read lips and often have to ask people to repeat what they are saying. It frustrates me.

There is incredible power that comes from being heard. If you are trying to communicate and your message is not getting through, it can also be quite frustrating.

Last month in our local eastside coaches meeting we discussed how coachees sometimes just need to be heard. They value being able to say something and hear themselves say it, with a witness.

Listening to others and helping them know that they’ve been heard is an incredible gift.

When training coaching skills, I often pair people up with the assignment to simply listen to each other for 4 minutes. I am always amazed at the impact of this exercise. So many people observe that their thinking progresses just because they were being heard.

Who will you listen to today?

How will you help them know that they’ve been heard?

Listen.

Listen well.