Who hasn’t been in a rush to a meeting or late to class, stopped for a quick chat with a friend or a colleague in the hallway, walked away and forgotten everything that was said? It is far too easy to be in your own head, thinking of what is next and your busy schedule, instead of putting that on pause and having a conversation with a friend; but paying attention to each other matters. I know when I am having a bad day it is so nice to run into a friend and have a brief moment where they listen to me vent. If I walked away from the conversation and felt like they weren’t listening to me, I would probably feel worse.
Paying attention in our society has become increasing more difficult with technology at our fingertips and our face paced schedules. We need to remember to put the distractions to the side and focus when people are talking to us. Most of us believe we are good multi-taskers, but we aren’t, no one really is. We find ourselves giving 50% to a conversation, while 50% of is sorting through email. You may think you are listening, but I can bet you are only walking away with 50% of the information that is being shared.
People feel valued, when they are engaged, listened to, and heard. While working at MCC, we want our students and our co-workers to feel valued so they continue to invest in our community. Paying attention takes effort and we must continue to put in effort where it matters most, our relationships.
Some tips on paying attention better:
- Create the right environment. Move away from noise and the hustle and bustle of a crowded hallway.
- When appropriate, ask a question and ask for more clarity.
- Try active listening. Instead of thinking of the next thing you are going to say, really hear what the person is saying to you. It is ok to pause when they are done speaking and formulate what you are going to say next.
Margaret M. Whelehan
The Civility Project: Making Courtesy Common
05/15/2013 |