“Silence is Spoken Here.” This sign greeted me where-ever I turned at Gethsemani.
Three days removed from my monastic experience, I have a greater appreciation for the power of silence, and of listening. I think listening is the most important communication skill that anyone can acquire. We tend to speak too much, almost driven by a need to push a personal agenda. This silence trip has jump started my intellect, and certainly made me more reflective. I think this has the potential to be a good thing.
I learned at a Harvard Workshop that silence and listening are the most important negotiation skills we must employ to leverage our positions in business, as in life. I was participating in a negotiation exercise and kept ‘selling’ and bargaining. Result? The guy who said the least got the best deal. See, that’s the beauty of poker — let the other guy show his cards, you hold yours close to your chest. It’s a winning formula.
About Hemant Rustogi