While reading Margaret Wheatley’s lovely book turning to one another I ran across the six principles she has “learned to emphasize” before beginning a conversation:

• we acknowledge one another as equals
• we try to stay curious about each other
• we recognize that we need each other’s help to become better listeners
• we slow down so we have time to think and reflect
• we remember that conversation is the natural way human’s think together
• we expect it to be messy at times

I’m especially taken by her third principle. We can’t listen by ourselves.

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