Talk Talk Talk
I love to talk.
Just ask my wife!
I am certain that God gifted me with such a wonderful spouse because He knew I needed to use a lot of words each day and she has the best listening skills of anyone I know. She will listen to me rant and rave and talk about sports and work and the kids and this and that and this and that… I always find something to talk about when I am around her!
At work this can be a challenge too. Amazingly over the years I have been able to tame my talking bug a little more in the work setting than at home (Sorry Devon! I’ll keep working on it at home!). I try to listen “twice as much as I speak” at work, not just out of courtesy but because usually I can pick up on what is going on much better if I am listening to what is being said than always trying to talk and get my point across.
How do you do with listening at work?
How well do you make eye contact and engage with people when they are speaking?
Are you looking the other way or fiddling with your phone while they are talking?
A Real Christian Businessman knows that in order to lead by example we have to be seasoned listeners with our peers and leaders in the workplace. We need to pay attention to those around us and know that others are watching how well we listen to others. Plus there are just so many opportunities to learn when we are actively listening than when we are speaking. No one learned anything by listening to himself speak!
The book of Proverbs is ripe with numerous verses about why it is more important to listen more than to speak (Hint: it all has something to do with looking like a fool):
“Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.” (Prov 17:28) ESV
“A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.” (Prov 18:2) ESV
Let’s try not to be “fools” this week and make it a point to listen more. I can only imagine how much we will learn and what type of example we will be giving to others around us if we do this!