39. A Communication Skill You Don't Often Hear About
“Skillful listening is as important, or perhaps even more important, than skillful speaking,” says host Alejandra. Through her work as a communication coach, Alejandra discovered that skillful listeners were the best communicators. Now, she teaches her clients how to use their listening skills to strengthen their relationships and interactions with others.
Alejandra understands that communicating with people with different political or world views may be challenging. However, she also understands that the best communicators can avoid potential triggers by making space and listening to what the other person is saying before reacting. After all, effective communication is a two-way street, and when people feel heard, they can feel safe to be themselves.
Tune into this week’s episode of Language Alchemy Podcast for a practical conversation on skillful listening. Learn more about communicating with people different from you, why skillful listening is as essential as speaking, and how to have stronger connections to your loved ones and community.
Quotes
• “When we communicate skillfully, we can enter a place of unity or connection with another person.” (0:15 - 0:23)
• “Transformative communication is not just about being able to say what we mean because communication is not a one-person activity. There is another person involved. When we communicate skillfully, we can enter a place of unity or connection with another person.” (3:04 - 3:23)
• “Skillful listening is as important or perhaps even more important than skillful speaking.” (4:41 - 4:49)
• “After learning to listen, I started teaching my coaching clients to do this. And well, the outcome. Oh, it's been precious. Couples about to separate found a new sense of joy and love and chose to stay together. Families heading towards estrangement were able to experience closeness again. People who felt lonely and isolated learned to have friends and even form communities, all because they learned to listen skillfully. The thing is that when we learn to listen to another human being, we include them. And when we include another person, we make space for the response or reaction. And we understand that the response or reaction is not a problem. It's just communication.” (6:00 - 6:59)
• “When we are listened to, we feel safe to be who we are. We feel safe expressing ourselves authentically.” (9:11 - 9:20)
• “My wish for you is that you may be open to learning to listen because that's where the gold of communication is.” (11:31 - 11:39)
Links
To sign up for 6-week online course Choosing True Connection: Learning to Listen without Losing Your Cool, Taking it Personally, or Giving Up Who You Truly Are, click here: www.languagealchemy.com/enroll
To ask your communication questions, click here:
languagealchemy.com/podcastquestion
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Podcast Music composed by Gary Lapow:
open.spotify.com/artist/1HlMhcNfKIELxYil5mVqDI
