Habit 5:
Seek First to
Understand, Then to
Be Understood®
The Habit of Empathic Communication
Influence others by developing a deep understanding of their needs and perspectives.
Apply effective listening skills.
Deeply and accurately understand others.
Apply effective interpersonal communication skills.
Overcome communication pitfalls.
Communicate viewpoints effectively.
Give and receive input and feedback productively.
Apply effective communication skills to the digital world.
Seek First to Understand
Because you so often listen auto bio graphically, you tend to respond in one of four ways:
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Evaluating: You judge and then either agree or disagree.
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Probing: You ask questions from your own frame of reference.
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Advising: You give counsel, advice, and solutions to problems.
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Interpreting: You analyze others’ motives and behaviors based on your own experiences.
If I were to summarize in one sentence the single most important principle I have learned in the field of interpersonal relations, it would be this: Seek first to understand, then to be understood.
-Dr. Stephen R. Covey