This article was originally posted on Lead Change Group in April 2019.
To truly “seek to understand” someone, you have to slip into that person’s frame of reference. This includes understanding the person’s values, experience, knowledge, and emotion. You have to understand the elements of the other person, how the person ticks. You must try to climb into the person’s head and experience the world as he or she does.
The best way to get into someone else’s frame of reference is to listen.