Quit checking your phone when talking to others
Conduct an experiment this week. When talking with others, see how many times the other person checks their phone. See what it does to the conversation, see how it makes you feel.
We live in a world of constant notification. It is gratifying to know someone liked our post on Facebook, or that we have a new Twitter follower! We get a quick shot of dopamine when a notification displays that someone just purchased a new book from our online store. Cha-Ching!
But how is our notification drug addiction affecting others? Do others get annoyed when they are trying to have a conversation with you and you are doping up on new text alerts?
Conversations are more than just verbal communication. They involve body language, tone, eye contact, and attention. An angry look with an agitated voice will communicate more than words ever will.
What are you communicating to the other person when you get distracted? Are you communicating that what they are saying is not important? Are you giving the impression that you have better things to do than be in this conversation? Is that what you want to convey?
“Keep going, I am still listening” is normally said by that person that thinks they are good at multitasking, but is actually terrible at it. It is only slightly better than not saying anything at all. During these moments, I will normally just stop talking and wait until they are done. I often get strange looks for doing this, but it is my way of communicating that I want their full attention. Also, how many times does the person that is supposedly “listening” to you, interrupt you and start talking about the email they just opened?
As I started to notice this behavior in others, I realized how often I would do it. Lets be honest, sometimes you are just in a conversation with a blabber mouth, and would rather be elsewhere. However, I believe it is good etiquette to give someone your full attention and try to be the best listener you can be.
Cheers!
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I am passionate about business, entrepreneurship, programming, and learning from the journey of life.
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