This week I had the opportunity to think about a person whom I think is an effective and competent communicator and the one person who entered my mind was Sherri. Sherri is an educator, motivator and most of all a great friend. I have know her for more than 10 years, but the thing that comes to mind when I think about her communication skills is not how well she speaks or how she has the skills to draw you into her conversation and not even that she is a great listener, but because she hears you. What I mean when I say that she hears you is that there are people I know that are good at listening to what you have to say and giving you the appropriate response, but she not only listens, but she hears you in such a way, that she can hear not only what you say and what you are not saying. She is a great motivational speaker and does so at many local and state events. She is also the kind of person who is genuine and real about what she says. She works with lot of kids at the school and they love her for her openness and honesty. She has group sessions with many teens who know that they can voice their opinions without feeling judged.
My greatest desire is to develop the type of skills that makes it easy for others to feel that I am effective and competent by having to ability to listen and hear what is being said. I want to be able to be open and genuine with others so that they know that I am listening and hearing what they are trying to say. I also want to be able to communicate my thoughts in a way that makes others feel they can freely talk with me, regardless of whether they are children or adults and know that they can trust me to be honest and real.
Liz,
ReplyDeleteSounds like Sherri has been communicating for a long time. I say that because usually when people begin speaking nobody listens; however, when an individual can get teenagers to listen, respect her, and go to her for advice she must have spirit of discernment. The fact that she's honest and open must have trickled down from whomever she has been blessed to be raised or mentored by. People at times just want somebody to listen, not for suggestions, not for advice, and definitely not for judgment, but just someone to hear their pain and Sherri sounds like she was that person. The only suggestion I can give to you; being that I have been in many classes with you and have read some of your other interesting blogs, is to continue to be you and have patience. {hugs}
Sherrell
Thanks Sherrell,
DeleteI'll definitely do that. (;-0
Liz, After reading your blog it seemed very similar to mine. I chose someone who is also an honest communicator. I think that is such a great skill...communicating honestly in a way that does not offend others.
ReplyDeleteHi Liz,
ReplyDeleteIt must be wonderful to call a person like Sherri your friend. Thank heavens she is a teacher and that she has a great relationship with her students due to her honesty and openness.
-Beau