The Power of Empathetic Listening

Good morning everyone. It’s Sal Celly. Hope you are doing great. Today I want to focus on the importance of empathizing as a way to effectively communicate. As we know effective communication is a fundamental and foundational critical skill to effectively collaborate with others, communicate and achieve great results. Man was not meant to be alone and cannot achieve much alone. That’s where the collaboration comes in and empathetic listening.

Empathetic listening and Effective Communication

Effective communication is very, very important. Martin Luther King was excellent in doing that. He empathized with President Kennedy through careful listening.  At one of his speeches he mentioned, “Returning hate for hate, multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.”

When you empathize, you don’t merely listen to a communications apparent content. You hear what the speaker is intending to say. Many times, the communication has an overt message and a covert message. When you empathize, you walk in the other person’s shoes, and understand where they’re coming from and what they’re trying to convey and their point of view. This is so critical in your personal life and in your work life.

Listen Carefully

If you’re in sales, it’s so important to understand what the customer is saying. They don’t care about you, your company or product. What they care about is- can you help them solve their problem, in the timeframe and at a cost that is affordable, and that is easy to implement. If you can, that’s great. If you cannot, it doesn’t matter how big you are, or how large you are, or how you’re number one in so many categories. Nobody cares about that. So, empathize and listen carefully.

Suspend Judgement

Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and suspend your judgment or the urge to respond. Just listen. People like to be heard. At the end of the day, they will forget what you did to them or what you said to them, but they will never forget how you made them feel. The importance of empathetic listening as a key communication tool, cannot be overstated.

If you’d like further details, send me an email at coach@maximizeu.life or visit our website at www.MaximizeU.life As you know, we are all about maximizing potential and transforming to lead a balanced happier and impactful life. This is relevant for individuals and organizations and institutions. Lead the life you deserve with greater freedom, power, and peace of mind. Thank you and have an awesome weekend. Bye.