Can You Forward the Conversation?

Have you ever witnessed a conversation that went nowhere?

It could have happened at your Club Officers meeting … or at work or at home with a spouse or a teenage child. Did it go in circles, or back and forth, and around and around, for seemingly endless hours? Or, perhaps the same subject comes up again and again without resolution? It’s exhausting.

What to do??

Believe it or not, the first step is to Listen with Curiosity, not Judgement.

Such intention will allow you the time to respond with clarifying, open ended questions, where your objective is to find common ground … a shared experience or interest, someplace you can agree.

Admittedly, this is not always an easy task. When the heat is on and tempers are rising, the hardest part can be keeping reactionary emotions in check. And yet … it is vital to remain poised and in listening mode to find that holy grail: clear communication.

What if we truly listen to understand another’s perspective before we argue our case for doing it our way? Could we possibly learn something that will alter our viewpoint? Perhaps there is a compromise that will satisfy both parties?

Maybe. Maybe not. But it’s worth a shot, isn’t it? Remaining friends, showing respect … these are important to leadership and to life.

Toastmasters is a communications organization. We are Toastmasters. Let’s practice what we teach 🙂

If people had the right skills and intention to communicate well, there would be no conflict. The better we are at communicating, the better our lives will be. ― Yama Mubtaker