Notice how you can't Listen and Talk at the same time?
"There are many things
that I would like to say to you
but I don't know how...
I said maybe...
You're gonna be the one to save me..." ~ Wonderwall, by Oasis.
A lot of my work involves active listening...from both parties -- myself and the person sitting on that proverbial couch (in my office, just a regular chair) across from me. Listening isn't easy. Talking is. I have this acronym that I often use in my work when I feel the urge to say something to put myself in check to make sure I'm still listening.
W.A.I.T. = Why Am I Talking?
The buzzer for the door to my apartment has a device. You can't listen and talk at the same time. Imagine how much miscommunications could be decreased if we actually functioned that way too...
My patient lived to see another day. But he's still dying...
