I had a difficult experience this past week:
I had to practice what I preach. I had to listen to someone share her criticisms, suggestions, and proposed new procedures for an organization I have been heavily involved with for the past five years. And here's the tough part, I had to force myself not to interrupt her. Every time Susan said something I disagreed with I had to struggle to control my knee-jerk reaction and say "But you don't understand...", "But we've tried that before", "But..." I had to listen critically.

Luckily for her, me, and this organization we were discussing, I had just completed updating materials for a client's training program on Critical Thinking. In doing so, I'd obviously spent a good bit of time thinking about the importance of critical thinking and listening. During my research, I'd found a good definition of critical thinking on About.com:
Critical Thinking involves developing some emotional and intellectual distance between yourself and ideas - whether your own or others' - in order to better evaluate their truth, validity, and reasonableness ... Critical thinking does not guarantee that we will arrive at truth, but it does make it much more likely than any of the alternatives do.

With this knowledge lingering in my mind, I sat and listened to Susan. I needed to learn what she really thought. In doing so I struggled with my desire to interrupt her when she used words and terms I didn't like. I forced myself to stop wishing I had a remote control because I wanted to click her "Off" when she presented opinions I didn't agree with. And, I had to struggle to determine what she was really trying to communicate versus what she was simply saying. It was hard, but as a result, I learned a lot about myself and a lot about Susan. I realized she wanted many of the same things I had wanted to see happen with the organization too - yet she was simply saying them differently. She was using terms that were "wrong" to me, but her ideas were "right." I'd had to listen critically so we could both think critically to benefit this organization.

Do yourself, your employees, your organization, and your customers a favor. Force yourself to think and listen critically. Avoid the knee-jerk desire to click "Off" opposing views and opinions. When you do, you may be amazed at what you will learn.

Copyright 2008 - Liz Weber, CMC - Weber Business Services, LLC.
WBS is a team of Strategic Planning and Leadership Development Consultants, Trainers, and Speakers. Liz can be reached at liz@wbsllc.com or (717)597-8890.
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Liz can be reached at mailto:liz@liz-weber.com

Author's Bio: 

In the words of one client, "Liz Weber will help you see opportunities you never knew existed."

A sought-after consultant, speaker, and seminar/workshop presenter, Liz is known for her candor, insights, and her ability to make the complex "easy." She creates clarity for her audiences during her results-oriented presentations and training sessions.

Participants walk away from her sessions knowing how to implement the ideas she's shared not just once, but over and over to ensure continuous improvement and management growth and development.

This former Dragon Lady has been there, done it, and learned from it. Whether speaking to corporate executives or government agency personnel, Liz's comments and insights ring true.

As the President of Weber Business Services, LLC, a management consulting, training, and speaking firm headquartered near Harrisburg, PA, Liz and her team of consultants provide strategic and succession planning, management policy & systems development, employee training, as well as marketing and media outreach services.

Liz has supervised business activities in 139 countries and has consulted with organizations in over 20 countries. She has designed and facilitated conferences from Bangkok to Bonn and Tokyo to Tunis. Liz has taught for the Johns Hopkins University's Graduate School of Continuing Studies and currently teaches with the Georgetown University's Senior Executive Leadership Program.

Liz is the author of 'Leading From the Manager's Corner', and 'Don't Let 'Em Treat You Like a Girl - A Woman's Guide to Leadership Success (Tips from the Guys)'. Her 'Manager's Corner' column appears monthly in several trade publications and association newsletters.