The Three-Legged Stool of Communication: If Any Leg is Missing, It Collapses
Experts agree that healthy communication rests on three core abilities: listening, understanding, and responding. Ignoring any of these pillars can severely undermine interactions and prevent successful exchange of information and perspectives.
Listening: The Forgotten Art
In our always-connected world of constant distractions and stimulation, many struggle to truly listen. As legendary communication expert Stephen Covey stated, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”
Active listening involves giving your undivided attention and clearing your mind to absorb all that the speaker is conveying — their words, tone, body language and context. Neglecting this critical first step leads to misunderstandings, missed nuance and the other party feeling disrespected or unheard.
For example, if a romantic partner tries expressing their feelings about conflicts in the relationship, but you’re distracted by your phone or formulating your next point in your head, you’ll likely miss or misinterpret important parts of their message.
