Debbie Adams / Listening to stories

I’m genuinely amazed at how hearing other people’s story of their solo day can keep my attention for a whole day. I’m also intrigued by the things that people hear in others’ stories. We all spent a bit of time piecing together a story of our day to tell to others (no more than 15 mins). Members of the group can then told each of us what they have heard from the story without adding any analysis or judgement: “I hear a story about a man/woman who…”

People hear such different things from the story and the bits they pull out can be quite illuminating. One thing a couple of people heard from my story that I was ‘up for it’. Funny because I didn’t feel particularly up for it but it’s interesting what you convey when you describe your day. This has made me reflect on the need to listen well but also, from a work perspective, that having the reflections of others can add dimensions that you have not thought of. It also highlights the age-old problem of communication: people often hear different things than what you meant to convey and that this might not always be in your control.