On December 7, 2021, motivational speaker John Nepper spoke to the membership of the Magnolia Rotary Club about the power of listening. Pictured above is John Nepper.
John told everyone that he works with people who want to turn their maximum potential into maximum reality, and with organizations that want to create the best possible environment for employees, and dramatically enhance the customer/client experience.
John pointed out that the words "Listen" and "Silent" are spelled with the exact same letters and said we should all think about that. Basically, one needs to be "silent" in order to effectively "listen". John also pointed out the following three rules for the art of engaged conversation:
- Always listen and don't try to fix anything until what the other person is trying to say is fully understood. Ask open-ended questions to invite further discovery and the possibility for deeper connection. Closed-ended questions are generally yes/no questions that do not move the conversation forward. In fact, they often stifle, express a personal agenda, or try to steer the conversation in a particular direction.
- Follow the conversation, don't lead.
- Give up your personal agenda while trying to understand what the other person is trying to say.
For more information about John Nepper, go to https://www.johnnepper.com/.
