Well, it seems there is never an end to the challenges to listen deeply and be a peacemaker and soother when it comes to construction.

Today a subcontractor had a conversation with my customer and apparently did not hear my customer correctly. Apparently the subcontractor jumped to a conclusion that then became quite an error. He thought the customer did not want him back to work until next week, after the holiday, so he left. In fact, my customer DID want him working at his house today.

I have found that this new-for-me subcontractor does hear incorrectly sometimes and then makes assumptions and conclusions that are not true. I wish I had been part of that conversation today.

I got left trying to clear it up with my customer, calling the subcontractor to try to de-construct what took place, and then telling my customer that I would now try to get more help sooner than this sub is available to return to the job. Ah well, the sub’s days might be numbered with me. He is a nice guy and means well, but his skewed hearing sometimes makes problems. At times I have found him making a totally wrong conclusion from something I said. He is too quick to try to complete others’ thoughts and what they mean. Too bad.

God, once again, the need to make REAL GOOD use of both ears makes itself known in dramatic fashion. How powerful listening is, or can be.

It makes me think of the almost-cult-film Brother from Another Planet, where a slave from another planet crash-lands on earth, looking basically like earth humans, and his deep ability to LISTEN silently, even though he is from another planet, leaves people feeling like they have been heard at a deep level. He just looks them in the eye all the time and LISTENS.

How powerful attentive, focused listening really is.  It helps both listener and “listenee”.  The daily dance continues to foster communication, clarity and caring, three big “c’s”.