Listening is the process by which I observe and make meaning of the world. Sharing my listening with others is a way to understand both them and myself.1
My Already listening is how I interpret all external and internal sensory input into something I understand. It is important that I am open to observing how my Already listening may be helping or hindering me.
My Way of Being at any moment can tune me into different listenings to my advantage or detriment. It is structurally determined.1
Many understand Listening to be the second half of speaking which assumes a sender → receiver relationship and in turn, assumes what is sent is sent perfectly and received perfectly. The meaning I am attempting to impart can collide with the meaning made by another person. Transmission does not equate to understanding. The message may be received accurately, yet this is just transport. Equivalent to saying because the words of a book were read accurately, the meaning was certain. Humans are not machines. Humanity in the workplace suffers when I rely on the sender → receiver model.
The natural inaccuracy of Listening that exists between two people is a continual challenge. How do I generate within another the meaning I desire them to have when I’m essentially working with a black box, and even if they seem to agree, they may still not have the meaning I need.2 Likely given all cultural, historical, language, emotional and physiological variables they never will. Thankfully close enough is usually good enough. We only experience a Breakdown when it isn’t.
Footnotes
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Sieler (2003), Coaching to the Human Soul (Volume I) > Chapter 5 - Listening The Unacknowledged Dimension of Language ↩ ↩2
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Hell, I might not even know exactly what it is I’m trying to share. ↩