Cathy Liska Tuning in to the way things are said, Auditory people learn best by hearing.
Alex was so focused on following what was said literally that the actual meaning was often missed. Alex was unsure why when people say one thing when they really mean something different. Because misunderstandings were creating problems at work and at home, Alex hired a coach. The coach listened carefully.
Tips for Recognizing the Auditory:
* Language refers to what they hear such as: discuss, resonate, sound, tune, say
* Eyes: level with ears, left to remember, right to think or down and right for an internal dialogue
* Gestures: mid-level, repetitive pattern
* Breathing: mid-level, uniform rhythm
* Talking Speed: even and patterned
Tips for Coaching the Auditory:
* Ask questions using hearing words
* Match their pace of speech
* Include auditory descriptions when offering perspective
* Ask them to describe how they would understand using only sight and feelings
* Have them describe success in auditory terms first, then seeing and feeling
The coach asked Alex to describe some of the conversations and brainstorm different meanings to what was said. The coach worked with Alex to explore how different understandings form. The coach asked Alex to develop a process for considering possible future misunderstandings and to formulate an action plan for preventing miscommunication. Through coaching Alex was increasingly aware of nuances in tone and expression. Alex was increasingly in-tune with others thinking, and now continues coaching to enhance how to say things more effectively.
