Oh, great! Another article about listening. We all know that
we're supposed to listen before we talk. We know about the listening
responses, the uh-huhs, the nods that we're supposed to practice to
indicate listening. We know we have to listen to what our contact is
saying so we can respond intelligently and ensure we make the sale by
meeting their needs. We know that listening once in a while is polite.
So what's new?
What's new is "essence" listening, a term coined by Speaking Circle
guru, Lee Glickstein. Essence listening goes way beyond the "techniques"
we are encouraged to practice to truly listening to the essence of
those with whom we are trying to communicate. Essence listening means
taking the time to understand our audience, to receive from our listeners
that which they can give us, to ensure we are connected before we
begin speaking. Essence listening empowers both the audience and the
speaker and creates a much greater impact than is available from speaking
at them, or even to them. We are now speaking with them. Are there
techniques involved? Sure - but once learned, they become part of
our essence and being and therefore completely natural.
So what is essence listening? It is pausing before you speak to make
a quality connection through your eyes with the person(s) with whom
you are speaking. It is not just a quick glance to ensure they're
looking at you and then plunging in, but a definite lingering with
each person, letting them know through your eyes that you acknowledge
their uniqueness, their humanness. Essence listening is maintaining
that eye contact, person by person, not skipping around from face
to face to face or "sweeping the room." Essence listening is maintaining
eye availability and letting our audiences in effect "write our material"
for us with their non-verbal responses. Truly allowing people to connect
with us lets them relax and learn from the connection. Truly connecting,
which occurs when we don't work to connect, but rather allow the connection
to happen, lets us relax and share the information we have to impart.
Once the connection has been made, then communication can begin.
Why essence listening? Our audiences, our colleagues all want to
know what it is that we are going to say; what concepts we're communicating
to them. Using essence listening lets them know we care about them
as individuals AND allows us to accept their willingness to listen,
too. Essence listening allows us to make an almost electrical connection
with them. The best example I've heard is that essence listening is
like lightning. The speaker represents the clouds and energy in the
sky, making available to the earth the power of their presence. The
audience is the earth, also with power of presence available. Lightning
occurs when the earth, in what is called "the response stroke," sends
its energy up to join that available in the sky. Lightning goes up;
it does not come down! Essence listening allows us to receive those
great amounts of energy from those to whom we speak to initiate and,
hopefully, continue a connection - a relationship.
Essence listening acknowledges that we are truly present with our
audiences and they with us. It respects our uniqueness and our importance.
The communication circle of transmitting through a channel to a receiver
and then receiving feedback becomes alive and energized. The noise
that disrupts communication is abated. We can concentrate fully on
what we are saying and what is being heard.
Consider essence listening a dance of life - a minuet. We come together
with our audiences to touch, and then back away to give each other
space to absorb the contact. We join and part throughout the dance,
finally blending at its completion. We allow all those in the dance
to display their real selves, their essence. When we practice essence
listening, the flames of the power of presence within us ignite, explode
and burn brightly, lighting up the lives of those we touch.
Any other reprinting or reposting requires specific permission which
is almost always granted.
