Meaningful Connection Everywhere You Go
1-ON-1 COACHING WITH DHYANA: Listen, Be Heard, and Connect
As a consultant for AOL/Time Warner, Dhyana designed and taught a communication curriculum for their call center in Bangalore, India for a Train the Trainers program. Dhyana teaches these skills to individuals, couples and families worldwide.
Communication Program Essentials
In this program, I help you understand that in order to influence or lead others (your spouse, your co-worker, child, parent, friend, etc.), first you need to dance in step.This is a very powerful secret anyone can use in a variety of settings. Active listening has already been widely used for decades in many professional contexts: for large and small business corporations, for conflict resolution programs for partners (personal and professional), as well as for political groups, in Ireland, for example.
First you learn to read body language and to mirror it. For example, if the person you are communicating with is seated with a relaxed or formal body posture, you take a similar body posture.
Then you learn to mirror back the precise content, emotions and voice tone that the person you are interacting with is using. This puts them at ease. They feel you “get” them. Once they feel understood, seen, heard, and acknowledged, they are ready to open up, trust and listen to your point of view. Now that you are “in step” with each other, you can both express yourselves in a respectful manner and move into harmonious interaction.
When you are not applying these tools, communication is a one-way street with neither person listening to the other. Each is trying to make a point and arguing (or worse) from their individual perspective. This obviously results in a dead-end (unfortunately leading to heated arguments, divorce, estranged family members, lawsuits, violence, and political strife).
This simple and effective technique can unlock the heart of almost anyone you are interacting with. If someone has been arguing with you or withholding from you, you may see their resistance melt and a genuine dialogue become possible. Years of distance and misunderstanding between children and parents, family members, marriage partners and with work relations can be shifted if this technique is applied with awareness, consistency and in an honest and open-hearted way.