Intentional Listening

Overview

Better listening 1) demonstrates we care and 2) helps us remember the conversation. When we remember the conversation, we reinforce that we care.

Issue(s)

The average listener retains only 50% of what is said immediately after a conversation. That retention drops by half 48 hours later. Is your phone next to you during that convo? 🤐 The mere possibility that your phone may ring reduces your ability to focus by 20%. Let’s say that again: anticipating a message on your phone diminishes your listening skills by 20%!

👉️ Tip: Important conversations involve humans. Silence your phone, or even better, put it in the other room. On date nights, agree to avoid phones or ask permission to use them if helpful to the conversation (like planning a trip together).

Analysis:

It’s easier to turn on active listening at work when an employee walks into your office for your scheduled 1:1. But at home, that clear line of “this is an important conversation” gets blurred without a calendared and labeled event.

Sometimes, a casual remark can turn into a bigger problem that becomes an important discussion you have to have, even if it interrupts what you thought would be a normal evening.

Cue: 👂️ active listening. Hide that phone.

Solution:

Remember, your partner is the most important person you speak with each day. They want you to listen, understand, and remember what they say. Show them that you care and support them in their thoughts and feelings.

Have your active listening tools at the ready👇️

Action:

Conclusion:

Reflect on a recent conversation where you could have used these techniques. How would things have been different if you actively listened and applied them?

It's not only about listening to the words but also about genuinely understanding and remembering the conversation with your important person.

👂️ Keep an ear out for those topics that need you to engage your brain
⬅️ Move your phone out of ear’s way
 ❓️The best listeners ask questions

Until next week,

Michelle @ Partnership Pulse

P.S. If cooking a whole turkey feels like a lot for Thanksgiving, here’s a spin on a Thanksgiving casserole you can make any time of year.

• 1 box Stove Top stuffing mix (any variation will do, but my fav is savory herb)

• 6-8 turkey cutlets (enough to fill the entire pan)

• 1 26 oz. can cream of mushroom soup

• 1 package of sliced Swiss or Muenster Cheese

• About 1-2 cups vegetable broth (use instructions on stuffing mix

• 1 stick melted butter

• Optional: 8 oz sliced mushrooms, 2-3 diced carrots, 2 diced celery stalks

Cook stuffing mix (which includes sautéing any optional veggies first) according to package directions, but set aside ¼ cup of the bread crumbs. Set aside when stuffing is cooked (add more broth if dry—you want this moist, but not soaked).

In a 9×13 glass baking dish, coat the bottom with a layer of cream of mushroom soup. Layer the turkey cutlets next to each other so that they fill the bottom of the pan. Spread the remaining cream of mushroom soup. Layer the cheese across the entire pan. Spread the cooked stuffing mix. Sprinkle the extra. stuffing mix. Pour melted butter on top.

Bake covered at 350 degrees for about 35-45 minutes or until turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Uncover for the last 10-15 minutes.

P.P.S. You can use chicken breasts instead of turkey cutlets. I usually use boneless breasts and cut them in half by width. The original recipe, Creamy Chicken Bake, is from one of our subscribers!