Shut up and listen!

I want to be a better listener.

Before I retired from Army civilian service, I managed a staff of benefits counselors who spent ½ their day on the phone counseling Army civilian employees around the world. Many times, the counselor would anticipate the question and answer before the caller was even able to complete their inquiry. This caused the counselor to miss the mark so many times, and resulted in mistakes in benefits transactions and caused untold frustration. The counselors who mastered listening skills were the most effective employees, and were the most sought after for advice and assistance.

Most people listen only with the intent to reply to what the other person is saying. Great listeners are not just hearing the words being spoken; they also try to understand the feelings behind the words. Words come from the head, but feelings come from the heart. When the person speaking senses that you genuinely care about what they are saying AND how they are feeling, you’ll win over their heart. When others know you care about what they feel, they’ll return the favor and care about what you have to say. A great listener creates fertile ground for planting the seeds of the Gospel.

Steven Covey says ‘seek first to understand, then to be understood.’ God’s Word says ‘answering before listening is both stupid and rude' (Proverbs 18:13). If you want to be a good witness, become a good listener.

Lord, make me a better listener.