AuburnChick's Adventures

Every job brings with it the potential to learn new skills or hone others that might be laying beneath the surface.  Such has been the case with my new job at the high school.

The majority of my day is spent on the phone.  I wear one of those one-sided headphone/microphone sets — the kind that keeps one ear available to listen to those who are talking to me in person.

It didn’t take me long to figure out that this job requires excellent listening skills.

I always thought I was a good listener.

I was wrong.

I think I’m getting better with each day that passes.  It’s not easy though.

I’ve discovered that to be a good listener, one must focus on the the words that are being spoken.  The focus isn’t just on the words themselves, but the content as well.  I’ve accidentally deleted voicemail before I realized that I had no clue which date a parent left an absence for.

Yeah, not good.

My desk is positioned in a strange way.  I sit lower than those who approach the desk, forcing me to look up and stretch my neck out, left ear forward, to hear better.

This is not the easiest task for someone as uncoordinated as me.

When listening to people face-to-face, I’ve grown to realize that making eye contact and watching their faces closely helps me better understand what they are saying.

I think there’s a life lesson in my recent training.

You can hear better if you allow others to finish speaking first.  Focusing on the other person is essential to good communication.

I want to work to apply these nuggets to my life outside of work…in my relationships with my family, friends, and, most importantly, God.  How often have I drowned out His words with my interruptions?

It’s only by focusing and giving Him my full attention, will I truly hear what He’s saying to me.

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: listening |