If we have made "Think Win-Win" a habit, then this next habit will be much easier to achieve. In order for the other person to "win" you will need to find out what they want/need, and in order for you to "win", you will have to share what you want/need. Therefore, communication is necessary and important to good relationships. Stress and dysfunction in relationships are often the result of poor communication. Since the Public Victory is about building healthy relationships with others, how can we become better communicators?
1. Check out the video below. How much simpler would this situation have been if each "person" had asked about the other's intentions and communicated their thoughts rather than making assumptions?
When you hear the word, "communication", do you imagine someone speaking or listening? Most of us likely imagine speaking, but the KEY to communication is in understanding the other person. When both people seek to understand - communication just works better.
Seek First to Understand - We will start by examining the most important aspect of communication ... LISTENING.
2. Read pages 164-178 of your "7 Habits" book.
3. Print off the Listening Note sheet and fill it in as you read.
4. "the deepest need of the human heart is to be understood. Everyone wants to be respected and valued for who they are..." (7 Habits, p. 165)
So how do we achieve this? Let's take a closer look at GENUINE LISTENING. By practicing the following 3 things, we can improve our listening skills and therefore, our ability to understand others.
a. Listen with your eyes, heart and ears. Since words only account for 7% of the message, we need to practice listening better with our eyes and heart - what is the person's body language telling us? Simply being aware of the importance of body language is a step towards becoming a better listener.
Try the quiz found at the following link. (Take note of your results - this will be part of your assignment).
READING FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
b. Stand in their shoes. This means to listen with EMPATHY. Empathy is the ability to put yourself in someone else's situation and understand and share his/her feelings.
Brene Brown is a prominent researcher in this area. In this short video, she explains the difference between SYMPATHY and EMPATHY.
c. Mirroring. When we mirror, it's vey important to reflect back, not only the meaningof what has been said, but also the feelings of the person. This lets the person know that we have heard and understood them correctly.
Look at the worksheet found at the following link. What feelings do you think are being communicated in each of the examples? Write an appropriate response that reflects back both meaning and feelings for TWO of the examples.
Look at the worksheet found at the following link. What feelings do you think are being communicated in each of the examples? Write an appropriate response that reflects back both meaning and feelings for TWO of the examples.
ASSIGNMENT
1. How did you score on the "Reading Facial Expressions" Quiz? Explain where your "skill" level is presently at?
2. Explain the difference between "Empathy" and "Sympathy".
3. Complete the Mirroring Worksheet.
*I will upload the Notes and Mirroring Worksheets to "Assignments" in Teams which may make it easier for you to complete online. You can submit your assignment by sharing with me on Office 365 or completing it through Teams.
