Did You Hear What I Said?

This past weekend I was at a cottage in North Bay.
The weather was awesome, the lake was pristine and calm, and the company was amazing.

I'm more of a city slicker, but I do enjoy getting out to the country and spending some time truly away from all the hustle and bustle. I did freak out a little bit as I didn't have WiFi or very good cell reception (no cruizing the internet on my blackberry), but I also had to go to town for a few hours a day for groceries and garbage disposal which provided me with time to get my information superhighway fix.

I did realize how important it is to have people around you who really matter. Who you can have long conversations that can easily flow from the most mundane to the most complex, and everyone involved has something to offer.

In these conversations, listening is probably more important than talking. And not just listening to what words are being spoken, but really understanding the underlying meaning, emotion, or sentiment of what is being said.

In the world of business, things seem to move so fast, you don't get to deal with much more than what is on the surface, especially with the ubiquitous use of e-mail. But there can be a rich and more satisfying conversation and outcome if you pay particular attention to what is happening below the surface. That is where the interesting things happen. That is where you learn. That is where we all need to be more often.