Week 7: Seek to Understand

 

The habit out of the Seven Habits for Highly Effective People that means the most to me is probably "seek to understand, then to be understood." 

I believe there's great power in trying to understand someone else, especially when you're trying to work with them. People are so complex and different, and it takes so much time and effort to figure someone else's style out if you're more committed to your way of doing things than to understanding, empathizing and synergizing with them.

Creating a happy work environment with opposing personalities was something I really loved to do as a missionary. My patriarchal blessing talked about how I would work with many companions and that I would learn to do this in great unity of purpose. That turned out to be absolutely true -- while none of my companions were similar to me at all, I got along well with almost all of them, and we all had a lot of fun together. I think it's because I adopted the attitude of seeking to understand early on in my mission.

When other people feel listened to, they feel cared about, and when they feel cared about, they're more likely to do some listening of their own. The best way to have friends is to be a friend, and the best way to be interesting is to be interested. This is what makes a good team, a good business, and a good life filled with good relationships. 

I'm excited to put the focus back on listening to people as I go through my week. I'm excited for what I'll learn from those around me, and I'm excited for how I'll feel as they tell me what is important to them.