Are they listening to You?

 Are They Listening to You?

My wife and I were talking about a mutual friend and she made the statement that “He thinks he has something to say.” We were talking about his seeming frustration when it seemed others were not listening.

Are people listening to you? Most of us have something to say.  Are they listening?

My Rhetoric Professor in college graded on two major categories.  One was “do you have something to say?” or content.  The other was “Did you say it well?” or delivery.  Here are key elements of those two categories.

 Do you have something to say?

·         This is audience dependent. Are they interested? Is it below them? Here is where feedback is critical.

·         You must have valuable content and convincing arguments.  Titles (Pastor, Doctor, Professor) don’t work (at least in the U.S.) like they did years ago. Your audience must be persuaded by something other than “because I say so.”

Do you say it well?

·         This goes beyond good grammar. Do you say it with passion, with concern for the other person? Do you listen to their questions and comments and allow them to modify your thoughts, or do you just argue to win an argument?

·         Most people don’t read today.  Video would be better. (I should practice what I preach.)

·         Short is better than long.  Many have a short attention span.

Keep listening and getting feedback. Adjust your message and delivery based on your feedback.  Listen before your speak. Relationships and trust-building are valuable, and actions often trump thoughts.