Stop talking and start listening!

I was at a Thought Leaders workshop today where we did an exercise, that I found particularly powerful.

Working in a group of 6 - 8 we each had the opportunity to present a challenge while the other members of the group shared experiences they had in managing or overcoming similar challenges. The catch was, that when you were the challengee (listening to other's experiences) after you had presented your challenge, you were not allowed to speak... at all!

Instead of listening to other suggestions and immediately dismissing them, explaining why they wouldn't work for you or saying, '...but my situation is different.' You had to just sit there and be open to the ideas that were being exchanged.

The practice of 'open listening' was incredibly powerful and most people commented that by listening in this way, they were able to identify countless solutions to their challenges that they might otherwise have dismissed at first glance.

Challenge yourself to listen 'openly' more often. Even if it's not appropriate for you not to respond at all, waiting as little as three seconds before responding can open your mind to myriad possibilities!