15.02.2025 Today’s Insights from Psychology Today: Why Effective Communication is about So Much More than What We Say
Dear Students,
While observed a bit differently in China, the West and elsewhere around the world, Valentine’s Day on February 14 remains very much a globally-celebrated event. Despite its original intent, the holiday with which most of you are now familiar was well underway, (per NBC Chicago) “By the late 18th century, [by which time] the tradition had solidified in England and spread to the United States.”
But what usefulness could an ambitious international student (like you?!) potentially extract from this marketing phenomenon, representing an estimated $27.5B in global retail sales (via National Retail Federation)? Simply put: At a fundamental level, Valentine’s Day reminds every young professional (and yes, that means YOU!) of the need to actively attend to relationships, amidst the increasing array of technological distractions, inadvertently side-tracking you from investing your energy in developing the full set of human skills needed to facilitate productive interactions that remain at the core of business today.
Even if you can appreciate the value of gently steering yourself towards such behaviors, some of you may find it hard to differentiate between “being quiet” and “truly listening.” Yet, among motivated young talent, the latter is critical to learn and apply, not only in collaborating with others in the workplace, but even among family and friends, emotions from which spill over daily into workplace conversations. It’s nice to know, though, that like any competency, the more you and your friends practice what the author describes as “deep, intentional listening,” the stronger this muscle performs while relating to anyone, be it a demanding new supervisor, a hesitant fellow intern, or a brilliant but shy coding project teammate.
Is it easy to master the art of being “fully present and engaged in what someone is saying?” Of course not, especially among a population of motivated young professionals like you and your classmates, seeking to make a mark on the world. Yet, this is exactly why it matters so much, and how our coaches can help. How often has any new crucial power skill (whether networking, presenting complex data or addressing conflict, for example) come easily to a student or new grad (which might just mean you)? Fortunately, professional learning researcher Guy Itzchakov Ph.D. offers 5 suggestions on how to begin doing so.
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Listening at Work: The Hidden Key to Productivity. In the workplace, listening is more than a nice-to-have skill; it’s essential. Harvard’s Amy Edmondson has shown that psychological safety …
www.psychologytoday.com
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As Dr. Itzchakov points out, the benefits to you learning to truly listen well will only become more pronounced in the coming years. He argues that “The future of work will be not just about efficiency, but about creating spaces where [people – in all roles] feel heard and valued, ultimately driving better performance…[and] unlocking more resilient, adaptive workplaces.”
Our coaches would therefore “propose” (admittedly a play on words) that you view this Valentine’s Day as a conceptual springboard, to recenter yourself on the importance of empathy, curiosity, “the power of the pause” and even the time-tested value of silence (traditionally associated with power in many Eastern cultures, as you know). Coaching presents a wonderful opportunity to practice building such abilities in a “safe” environment.
What (and who) can each of us listen to, even more closely, to this coming weekend?
Best,
Amy-Louise