Teaching Is Listening

Teaching is Listening

I had a promising design meeting with a client yesterday. All the signs pointed to success:

 ✔️ The price was right

 ✔️ The dates aligned

 ✔️ They embraced my idea to present “How to Have Difficult Conversations” in three modules - preparation, delivery, and reflection

 ✔️ They even requested a contract

Then, in a moment that felt like smooth sailing, I hit a familiar snag—my reflexive urge to prove I know the material. Instead of focusing on the learning outcomes, I started explaining why I think people avoid difficult conversations.

That’s when someone on the client team gently interrupted:

“Why don’t we ask the participants what makes giving feedback difficult for them?"

It was a perfect redirect that reminded me of a powerful lesson that I learned years ago - and need to re-learn often: Teaching is listening; learning is talking.

When I stop telling and start listening, the learning begins.

I have ample opportunities to practice this - at work and with my wife, my kids, my friends.

What about you? Have you experienced the power of teaching as listening? I’d love to hear your perspective below or, better yet, reach out to me for some transformational coaching.

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