Listen- #oneword2019

After seeing so many of my PLN choose and share their #oneword2019 the last few days, I thought that I needed to come up with my own.  After thinking about many words (family, serve, and learn were under careful consideration), I chose "Listen".

I chose "Listen" for a number of reasons.  I realized that I need to listen more to my family, my friends, my colleagues, and my PLN.  I need to listen to what people are saying and not just hear what people are saying.  Coach Bob Knight once said, "Everybody hears, but few listen."  Whether you agree with how Coach Knight coached his teams or players, the wisdom in this quote has stuck with me for a very long time.  And when I think about the other words that were in serious consideration, listen really fits with all of them.

I need to listen more when I'm with my family.  I'm sure that when my wife and daughter read this, they'll laugh and agree wholeheartedly.  They might even say that I'm like Aunt Bethany in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

"What's that sound?  You hear it?  It's a funny squeaky sound."

Aunt Bethany, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Sometimes I ask questions and when the answer is provided, I'm either not listening or not paying attention.  I need to listen more carefully, not just to the words but also to the tone.  The words are important, but it's more important to listen to the tone in how the words are shared.  I'm sure that my wife and daughter will remind me of my #oneword2019 when I fail to really listen.

There is another family that I need to listen to, my school family.  I need to listen more for understanding.  Setting down my phone and closing my Chromebook during conversations has been a focus in 2018, but I need to be better with putting away my technology.  I'm sure that my school family will remind me of my #oneword during 2019.

If I really remember to listen, I'll be better able to serve those I live with, work with, and learn with.  Listening will help me better understand what I need to do to serve others.  I have had the good fortune of learning from so many who served others- my mother and father, my wife, Pastor Wilch (my pastor for 30 years), Mr. Arnold (my high school principal who also served on our church council), and Mark Flynn (the superintendent that hired me as principal and later went on to serve an orphanage in South Sudan).  The list could go on and on, I promise you.  And because of these servant leaders, I do my best to serve others.  But you can't serve others unless you listen to what people say.  If you really listen, you can learn what others need you to do for them.

Finally, if I remember to listen, I will learn from others.  While writing this blog, I did a Google search for quotes involving learning and listening.  This quote by Doug Larson really caught my attention.

I must admit, when I'm in conversations, I'm almost always thinking of a response instead of listening to understand.  When I'm with others, I need to concentrate more on my listening.  I would say that listening doesn't just happen in conversations.  It can also happen when reading a book or reading a post on social media.  I say this because reading what others have written can be like a conversation.  Many times after reading something, I've learned what I need to do next to take my school or leadership to another level.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about my #oneword2019.  I promise to listen.