We all want high trust relationships. Our lives are so much better when we are surrounded by people who trust us and we trust them. So much better.
In his excellent book, The Speed of Trust, Stephen M.R. Covey outlines ten high trust behaviors that we can work on to increase our trustworthiness. In my experience, trying to get ten things done is a great strategy to get nothing done, so I’m challenging myself and our team at PCI to focus on three high trust behaviors this year.
High trust behavior #1: Listen first.
Listening first sounds easy. But we’re a bunch of humans… Most of the time we just want someone to listen to us. We want to feel understood! We seem to think that if we just keep talk… talk… talking…, people will understand us better.
How’s that strategy working?
Instead, what if we begin each conversation with a goal of understanding the other person’s point of view? That’s a game-changer. And, here’s the interesting part: when someone senses we genuinely want to understand their perspective, they become much more willing to consider what we have to say.
Try it out.
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Reflection: What are some strategies I can use to become a better listener?
Action: Start by giving my full attention. Next, listen… not only with my ears, but also with my eyes and heart – i.e. seek to understand not just what they are saying, but the feelings and emotions underneath the words.
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