We move from collective monologues to
authentic dialogues through active listening.

While this blog has addressed civility often, given what is in our rearview mirror, a quick review is in order. The following is an excerpt from one of my student success textbooks:

“The reality is that unless you plan to live the life of a hermit, you will interact with people for the rest of your life. You will have intimate relationships, casual friendships, and important professional associations. Your ability to communicate a message of confidence, competence, and civility will affect how people perceive you. Developing effective interpersonal relationships can be the difference between a group that maximizes its resources and one that squanders its opportunities….

“Not all of your relationships will be harmonious. If you interact with people long enough, conflict will present itself. It is part of the human drama—but it can be a positive force in your life. The key to dealing with conflict successfully is first to recognize when and why it is happening and then to develop a healthy plan for managing and resolving it. Doing so requires practice, patience, and persistence.” (p. 194)

Part of the practice of civility involves active listening which requires attention to the person in front of us. Consider these seven steps to enhance (or reinforce) your active listening skills:

• An active listener has to be quiet and focus on the speaker.
• The active listener needs to quiet his or her mind.
• An active listener pays attention to what is said.
• The active listener lets the speaker know that he or she is listening.
• Active listeners not only hear the words but “listen” to the body language.
• The active listener often asks questions about what the speaker has just said.
• Finally, the active listener attempts to repeat what he or she has just heard to ensure the message has been understood.

We move from collective monologues to authentic dialogues through active listening.

Video recommendation for the week:

An old video with timely advice.

Make it a great week and HTRB has needed.

My new book has been released.
eBook ($2.99) Paperback ($9.99). Click here.

Roxie Looks for Purpose Beyond the Biscuit.

Well, actually, my dog Roxie gets top billing on the author page for this work. Without her, there would be no story.
Click here for more information about the book.

In the meantime, check out her blog.

And you can still order:

• My book, Community as a Safe Place to Land (2019), (print and e-book) is available on  Amazon. More information (including seven free podcast episodes that spotlight the seven core values highlighted in the book) at the above link.
• Check out my book Stories about Teaching, Learning, and Resilience: No Need to be an Island (2017). It has been adopted for teaching, learning, and coaching purposes. I conducted a half-day workshop for a community college’s new faculty onboarding program using the scenarios in this book. Contact me if you and your team are interested in doing the same. The accompanying videos would serve to stimulate community-building conversations at the beginning of a meeting.

My podcasts can be found at The Growth and Resilience Network®.

You will find more about what I do at www.stevepiscitelli.com.

©2021. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®