Do you know how sometimes what is said...is not what is heard?
Have you ever shared a conversation with someone, only to find that afterward you walked away with a slight doubt about what was said...or, wondering if they understood what you were saying? One of the things I've noticed in presenting courses and working with individuals over the past decade is this:
Even the slightest mis-communication can radically affect the outcome of a conversation.
So, how do you ensure that what was said...gets heard? How do you make sure that what you hear...is what was said? One of my teachers calls it "perception checking." Another, repetition. either way, it's a quick way to find out where you're on...and where you're off.
In the middle of a conversation with a client recently, I stopped and said, "Do I hear you saying..."
Well, as I said what I was understanding, she started shaking her head. "No, no not that at all. What I meant to say is..."
This really encourages me to listen and focus on the item we're discussion. Oh, I do this not only DURING a conversation, but afterward as well. Whenever I meet with someone on the phone, I send a quick note (written or electronic) sharing my understanding of the conversation, outcomes we committed to, and next actions each is going to take. It works!
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