“They’re not listening to me.”
This is one of the more common complaints I hear when working with individuals and groups to enhance their communication and leadership skills. Listening to be polite, listening to respond or listening just to let them vent, are just a few of the reasons for the breakdown in communication today.
Source: Vet Advantage: June, 2016.
Respecting another person’s point of view does not mean you have to agree with that viewpoint. Agreement and respect are not synonymous. By acknowledging another viewpoint, you are simply respecting the other person’s right to a different point of view at this moment in the conversation.
INSIGHTS: The best communicators respect other points of view and make others feel like they are the only person in the room even when they may not agree with them.