ARE YOU GOOD LISTENERS?

We all do it. It’s as common as flies around a horse. While someone else is talking, we’re thinking about what we’re going to say next instead of about what is being said to us. We know others are worth more care and attention. But the habit is hard to break.

- THE NIV QUIET TIME BIBLE (1525)

Something to share ….

Undoubtedly, a good leader talks with a voice of authority and shouts with a voice of command. It’s nothing unusual that a leader is a good talker and has the habit of keep talking all the time. He expects his team members to be followers and listen to his talking most of the time. However, at time a leader must himself be humble to stop talking but listening to his team members.

I must admit that I had not been a good listener all these years. At times I would like to cut in when the other person was still talking to me. I gave my excuse that at my current age I had a tendency to forget if I did not speak out immediately especially when I needed to respond to him. Nevertheless, I did excuse myself for stopping him from talking and allowing me to cut in. With that understanding, there was little hard feeling from the person I spoke to.

Somehow the successful leaders are good listeners, as they have discovered the value of listening. It is essential and necessary for anyone who wishes to communicate well with others. Dale Carnegie put it rightly,” The secret of influencing people lies not so much in being a good talker as in being a good listener.”

Unless we are willing to break the hard habit of keep on talking and learn to listen to others, we are not able to get good feed back and reliable information from our subordinates, colleagues and coworkers. “Why should I tell him if he’s not listening to me?” That’s normal human attitude.

Always remember: BEFORE YOU SPEAK …. LISTEN.

In James 1:19, God reminds us,” Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak…”

Become a better listener and doer of his Word.

Offer Your Hand

Little girl and her father were crossing a bridge.

The father was kind of scared so he asked his little daughter, "Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don't fall into the river."

The little girl said, "No, Dad. You hold my hand."

"What's the difference?" the puzzled father asked.

"There's a big difference," replied the little girl.

"If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go. But if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go."

In any relationship, the essence of trust is not in its bind, but in its bond. So hold the hand of the person whom you love rather than expecting them to hold yours...

Something to share …..

Yes. A caring father is the one who holds his child's hand because under no circumstances he will let go the hand.

A true friend is the one who offers you help when he/she knows you are in difficulty and not the one who say,” Come to me if you need help.”

A good leader is the one who shows you the way and not the one who tells you, “Ask if you don’t know.”

Surely you have something to share and add on…..

BE OBSERVANT AND LEARN TO PAY ATTENTION

First-year students at Medical School were receiving their first Anatomy class with a real dead human body. They all gathered around the surgery table with the body covered with a white sheet.

The professor started the class by telling them: "In medicine, it is necessary to have 2 important qualities as a doctor. The first is that you not be disgusted by anything involving the human body."

For an example, the Professor pulled back the sheet, stuck his finger in the butt of the corpse, withdrew it and stuck his finger in his mouth.

“Go ahead and do the same thing," he told his students. The students freaked out, hesitated for several minutes, but eventually took turns sticking a finger in the butt of the dead body and sucking on it. Each one tried his best not to puke.

When everyone had finished, the Professor looked at them and told them,"The second most important quality is OBSERVATION. I stuck in my Middle finger and sucked on my Index finger. Now learn to pay attention."

Something to share…..

Well, I am sure we have a good laugh after reading this joke.

In the course of learning, being just beginners, we obviously had a tendency to be naive and ignorant. We were easily tricked and made “a laughing stock” as we were raw and fresh without any experience. We were lack of observation and had not learned to pay attention.

A planter is trained to be very observant in the fields. As he walks the fields, he is able to see and detect things not right in plantation he managed. His eye sight should be as sharp as an eagle.

Paying attention through observation, he is able to act accordingly to put things in order by enforcing strict discipline on his field staff and taking remedy action to get things done and corrected in the fields without any hesitation and delay. Supervisory staff and mandores are trained to be observant as well in carrying out check and control duties in the fields. Any slack in supervision may be due to poor observation and not paying full attention to workers who are supposed to get work done.

A planter will not compromise on work standard and quality. There will be no excuses for work half done or half undone. Works for today need to be done will have to be done. It’s a matter of DEDICATION and COMMITMENT, involving planning, organizing, implementing, delegating, follow up and monitoring.

As long as a planter pays attention to the principle of “plan your work” and practice “work your plan”, eventually it’s a job “well done”.

That’s what we call “job satisfaction”!