November/December 2005

Innovation Tips

…ideas for building collaborative innovation

=======================================

Listening Without Judgment

…the power of personal reflection

 

It has been said that dialogue evokes the best in people and draws forth commitment and enthusiasm but that it only occurs when there is a willingness to listen without judgment. So how do we open our minds to the extent that we can readily hear and absorb others’ perspectives and listen non-judgmentally?

 

To do so we need to identify and understand our own judgments. What are our underlying intentions, assumptions, values? It is important to fully examine our own thoughts because they influence what we perceive and how we behave . . . and ultimately what we think.

 

As humans we are meaning makers – given the smallest bit of information, we’ll interpret it and make it meaningful. Sometimes we’re absolutely correct, sometimes we’re completely wrong, and most of the time we’re somewhere in between. But we think we know, we think we have all the facts and know the whole story.

 

Our thoughts direct us to pay attention to certain aspects of our world and to not notice others. These “facts” that we accumulate get incorporated into our underlying assumptions. What we need to realize is that the facts we gather and the assumptions we develop are always incomplete. They are only part of the story. It is as if we have only seen one part of a picture and have created a story--an understanding—that fits that particular part. Albert Einstein said, “Our theories determine what we measure.” We could say, “Our assumptions determine what we perceive.”

 

But we don’t have to be limited by our assumptions. By taking the time to examine our own preconceived notions and underlying assumptions, we can open the doors in our minds. We can acknowledge that there may be other perspectives, that as one person we don’t have all the facts, and that our version of reality may be incomplete.

 

Before engaging in dialogue, the simple act of acknowledging that our assumptions affect us will allow us to take advantage of the collective genius of the group. By this simple act we will be able to hear more perspectives and gain deeper understandings which will lead to more effective actions and solutions.

 

I’ve found that I can only change how I act if I stay aware of my beliefs and assumptions. Thoughts always reveal themselves in behavior.

            -- Margaret J. Wheatley

 

______________________________________________

INNOVATION TIPS is a monthly letter provided by

PARTNERS for INNOVATION, INC.

To subscribe, please register at our web site: www.partnersfi.com.

To unsubscribe, please reply with the word “unsubscribe” in the subject box.

 

We can be reached by e-mail at: info@partnersfi.com or by phone at 1.419.872.7140

 

Copyright (c) 2004, Partners for Innovation, Inc. Permission

is granted to reproduce, copy or distribute INNOVATION

TIPS provided that this copyright notice and full

information about contacting the authors are attached.