Which sounds right? Mr. Communication, Mrs. Communication or Ms. Communication?
Yes, You guessed right. Miscommunication. She happens all the time. Let me give you an example. My wife Laurie says to me… “Honey, How does baked chicken breasts sound for dinner?” But I hear… “Will you pour honey on my chest?” Why does this happen? Is it a male / female thing?
Is it a Mars and Venus thing or perhaps a mouth and ear thing? Yes, it is all of these.
Guys, we just don’t listen the same way the gals do. What about sexual orientation? Do gay men listen better? I don’t think so, but I could be wrong.
It has to do with how hard one is willing to work at listening. Communication is hard work. It seems that more men are lazier than women when it comes to that department. Yes, there are poor female listeners and good male listeners. But generally speaking, guys do a poor job at it.
Here are some humor and communication tips.
Tip One: Use your humorous imagination to improve your listening skills.
Let us say that you are angry with another person you are about to speak to. This will make communication with them very difficult. You must get out of the angry mood. Think to yourself something along the lines of… “I wonder what this person would do if chesse started pouring out of their ear?” The other person will then see you smiling and know you are open to communication. You will feel better and more willing to listen.
Tip Two: Pretend what you are about to hear is the most important thing you will ever hear in your life. When you are that focused on someone, they will think you are the most wonderful person in the world. Try it and you will be very surprised at the positive results.
Tip Three: Caring is the key. It has to come from within. Not caring enough is usually the reason for poor communication. Here is an excerpt from a conversation with my wife known as one of the best listener’s on the planet. She is much better than me.
Laurie: “I know how to listen.”
David: “How do you know how to listen?”
Laurie: “Because I pay attention. I put my heart into it.”
David: “Why?”
Laurie: “Because I’m interested.”
David: “Why are you interested?”
Laurie: “Because I care.”
Laurie: “Where are you going?”
David: “To the store to get honey”
Laurie with a confused look: “Why?”
David: “You know” (Sly smile on my face).
David M. Jacobson, MSW, LCSW is the author of the new book, on it's way to bestseller status: "The 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Humorous People" He is an international expert in humor and health and also speaks on humor and communication as well as humor and diversity.
He is President of Humor Horizons. www.humorhorizons.com
Davis is a licensed psychotherapist and clinical social worker. He is also a professional member of the National Speakers Association.
His many honors include the National Hero Overcoming Arthritis Award and their Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also the recipient of a “Joy Mask” for his work with the Korean Broadcasting System, The President’s Award from Flashnet Marketing and the Jim Elliot award for his fund raising 50 mile unicycle ride inspite of severe arthritis.