NH Business Review Column: Connecting with People in a Meaningful Way

Striving to understand another’s perspective seems like a lost art these days, but it cannot be emphasized enough. Listening to understand (and not just to reply), including asking questions in the spirit of curiosity, are invaluable for working with others. And, of course, these skills are beneficial for us all, not just people in formal leadership roles.

A big challenge these days is connecting with people who see things differently. In her powerful new book, I Never Thought of It That Way, Monica Guzman writes, “When you’re surrounded by people who reflect the same basic set of perspectives, you’ll find it harder to grasp any others.”

This is where empathy comes in, with the commitment to really listen and be curious. Most of us increasingly operate in silos. We spend more and more of our time with those who think like us which further reinforces our sense of being right, as well as a disregard for “those people” on the other side.

Meaningful connections with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and employees who are suffering from loss, health issues, or regular day-to-day problems can be very meaningful.   

Listening to understand, as opposed to listening to reply, is hard but so important. Afterall, Steven Covey ranked it as one of his seven habits of highly effective people.

You can read my full column here.