April 26, 2018 • 2 minute read • by Saeed
“What we have here is a problem to communicate.”
~ Spoken by Strother Martin (as the prison warden) in the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke
George Bernard Shaw best summed up the problems that lead to communication breakdowns. The single biggest problem in communication, he said, is the illusion that it has taken place. And therein lies the problem.
Here is a perfect example of what he meant spoken by a U.S. government official: “I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant!”
Ha?
Question: How do you communicate with impact?
Answer: Strategic Listening. Here is how it works:
Step 1: Put away the smartphone.
Step 2: Suspend judgement.
Step 3: Reflect on what’s being said.
Step 4: Ask open-ended questions to bring people out and get them to expand their ideas.
Step 5: Then restate their ideas to show you’ve been listening.
Step 6: Have a real conversation.
Good luck:)
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Saeed H. Mirfattah, MA, CPCC 