You know how folks are always offering advice? In a recent edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education, the advice from David D. Perlmutter includes “listen as well as you speak”.
I tend to believe I’m a pretty good speaker.
But that advice in The Chronicle caused me to think about whether I’m a good listener. I think I’m getting better at listening. But I also think I tend to jump in, or cut someone off, or add a comment, or assume I know what someone is about to say. I think I need to practice my listening skills so that those who are speaking – whether one-on-one or in a group – can finish their thoughts.
How about you? Are you a good listener? Do you listen to your students? To your colleagues? Or are you more like me – with a tendency to chime in too soon? We’re all highly educated, capable, assertive, accomplished, opinionated folk. So – speaking for myself – I know I could be a better listener, which would make me a better colleague and a better AVP.
My pledge to you is to listen intently. So let me know what I can do to help you do your work. Let me know what ideas I can take forward. Let me know if I can bring people together around a concept or a notion that needs a little brainstorming. If you let me know, I promise to listen.
Picture courtesy of the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health