Why is it important to listen without judging?
Empower people with non-judgemental listening
Think about what happens when somebody comes to you with a problem. Your urge is to solve it. However, most of the time, they are not asking for a solution. Theyre asking to be understood so you can help them solve their problem on their own. Yet, your judgements get in the way. When we listen with judgement, we attack. We put others on the defensive. We shut down their ideas. We hold them back. Were all entitled to our own opinions. We just have to know when to keep them to ourselves and how to express them in a constructive way. We can do this with non-judgemental listening. With non-judgemental listening, we listen to understand instead of listening to fix. We put our own beliefs and values to the side. This is easier said than done. Were often unaware were judging until its too late. Non-judgemental listening does not mean you will not judge. It means you will listen without allowing yourself to apply your judgements to what you hear. We become aware of our judgements. We gain control. And we get to choose. Do we respond with judgement? Sometimes this is necessary. Or do we listen without it? When we listen without judgement, we understand. We put others on the offensive. We nurture their ideas. We empower them. This article was featured in The Salt Lake Tribune, the Desert News, and the Park Record. Leadership, Personal DevelopmentRick LindquistApril 21, 2019 Facebook0 Twitter LinkedIn0 |