September-October 2006 -- WELCOME

THE LISTENING CONNECTION
--your world-wide connection to "effective-active listening"

EAR-OPENING CONTENTS

1)September-October Ear-Opening Commentary.
"Please! Stop the Complaining and Whining"

2) Your INTERACTIVE DIMENSION - Your Opportunity: To Respond to these September-October Questions of the Month

3) World-wide INTERACTIVE RESPONSES to the July-August 2006 Edition Questions

4) September-October Thought Provoker.

5) Ear-Opening Holiday Package Special!!
Gifts of Hope and Inspiration

1) Please! Stop the Complaining and Whining!

by Greg Bauer

1. Enjoy Living!

2. Enjoy working at your position!

3. Enjoy confronting and working with the challenges at hand!

4. Enjoy building relationships on a 24/7 basis!

5. Enjoy living your 24/7 lifestyle as being an innovator of solutions!

6. Celebrate being flexible and the rewards derived!

7. Celebrate moments of conflict, disagreement, and even defeat as moments of opportuntiies to grow, develop, and reach out for improvement 24/7!

These are the top items for improving the vision, goals, and culture that a very vibrant and personable President/CEO of a mid-size midwestern company recently shared with me in a private session.

Note: 1) Notice how this list of top items of improvements and refinements did not directly include anything about their products and/or services.

2) Notice how this list did strongly encourage and include a strong definite enhancement of their people and company culture. Also notice the strong emphasis on how these enhancements occur in each employee's 24/7 lifestyle. Not just at work.

Later that day, this President had called a pre-scheduled mandatory meeting where the agenda had one subject on it and one focus only -- "The Refinement of our Company Culture." I felt honored and privileged to be invited and in attendance as an observer at this meeting of vice presidents and management leaders.

This fired up President started this session by stating his commitment to beginning to live this newly-upgraded enhanced lifestyle today. He emphasized each of the 7 components listed above, elaborated on the importance of each, and how important the simultaneous and collective practice of all of these components was crucial to the wellness and future growth of the company. Every team member got the message which became evident when the message received a unanimous standing ovation.

Then the President of this now very committed team unveiled the key element to how this formula for enhancement was going to be achieved:

"We are going to eliminate any and all complaining from our company's cultural lifestyle on a 24/7 basis. We will: STOP THE COMPLAINING AND WHINING!"

That day Ear-Openers 4, 5, 6, and 7 emerged and were further developed:

(Note: Ear-Openers 1, 2, and 3 are covered in the July-August edition.)

Ear-Opener #4 -- At any level in any company or association, anyone criticizing anybody or issue will no longer express any judgment or opinion without supporting the statement with a positive (proactive) solution(s).

Ear-Opener #5 -- Stop complaining (yourself) to any and all people and groups, and begin to be known and recognized as a person that offers viable constructive solutions 24/7.

Ear-Opener #6 -- Becoming a person that is respected and emulated by all for your genuine sincerity in your abiltiies to offer constructive solutions and celebrate constructive input from others in finalzing conclusions in helping to serve others. Begin to "actively listen" to what you are going to say and what you actually say. Ask yourself: "How are my statements going to impact others and the task at hand -- constructively or destructively?" Be approachable.

Ear-Opener #7 -- Practice to identify any and all approaching complaining and whining by "actively listening" for any indication of ever receiving any constructive solultions. Simply ask this potentially complaining individual: "What constructive solutions do you have to offer?" If their resonse is: "I don't have one" or "None", simply and politely offer to meet with them at a future time when they have developed and are ready to share a positive, proactive, and constructive solution.

Since the meeting, I've shared this mindset and visionary thought patterns (that were presented by this vibrant President) with other top business executives, several ministers, some healtcare professionals, some community leaders, athletic coaches, and some business developers that were participants in workshops and consultations where I've presented and conferred.

They all agreed and strongly supported that complaining and whining and even being exposed to this devastating pollutant becomes a roadblock to:

-- creativity occurring
-- visionary thinking
-- progressing forward
-- building strong and vibrant relationships
-- establishing credibility
-- maintaining believability and trust
-- achieving future accomplishments
-- and to your improving your (and/or your group's) effective-active listening abilities.

One other significant part of this life changing practice involves your commitment to listen and reveal to yourself and to discover where you are being exposed to a complaining mindset and culture externally:

-- People on the telephone / cell phone / e-mails
-- Friends, relatives, and confidants
-- People involved in your leisure-time activites
-- People involved in your religious and community activities
-- Your spouse
-- Your children
-- People in the mall, shopping centers, grocery store
-- Media / news exposure -- radio / tv / internet
-- Your work environment: People internal and external

* Determine your levels of exposure to complaining and whining and immediately begin to control your degree of exposure.

* Activate the elements for improving and enhancing your (or your organization's) lifestyle 24/7 and immediately begin to initiate the practice of:

-- STOP THE COMPLAINING AND WHINING --

Begin to realize the many newly unleashed benefits derived from your enhanced ability to "Utilize the Power of Effective-Active Listening" by drastically reducing the "complaining" portion of your 24/7 lifestyle.

2) YOUR INTERACTIVE DIMENSION -- YOUR OPPORTUNITY: RESPOND TO THESE SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH.

BRIEFLY EXPLAIN:

(1) What is your typical resonse/reaction to a person who complains and complains and complains?

(2) What steps have you taken recently to control your own complaining and also to control your exposure to external complaining elements?

*YOUR OPPORTUNITY -- CONNECT WITH:*

THE LISTENING CONNECTION

YES -- This is your opportunity to share any of your answers (responses) to the questions from above with our international audience of subscribers of The Listening Connection. 1) We will include your answer(s)/response(s) in our next (November-December) issue. 2) Our readers (subscribers) would also appreciate your providing us with your first name only, state you reside in (if in the U.S.), and your country. We are really looking forward to sharing with you new horizons in The Listening Connection being your worldwide connection to "effective-active listening". E-mail your perspectives/responses to: gregbauer@listenone.com.

3) WORLDWIDE INTERACTIVE RESPONSES TO
THE JULY-AUGUST 2006 EDITION QUESTIONS:

(1) What prompted you to accept the challenge posed in this July issue and begin to intertwine ear-openers 1, 2, and 3 in everyday lifestyle?

(2) What attributes have you discovered by your accepting and practicing ear-openers 1, 2, and 3 as part of your newly founded life skills?

JEFF -- ILLINOIS -- USA

I did accept your challenge to review and apply the ear-openers in my life. However, it took me a couple of days until my coming around to total acceptance, because many different facets were already going so well in my life:

-- Having a job/career that I really like and I just got promoted.
-- Having a beautiful and supportive girlfriend
-- Having a healthy lifestyle -- eating well / working out
-- Etc.

However, what I didn't have was a way that led my energies and expectations to reach uncharted dimensions.

That's when I started to really look at how I was helping others on a day-by-day basis, how I was really leading a life of living my convictions, and how I really was more of an interrupter, both consciously and sub-consciously, when listening to my friends and co-workers.

So far, I've found by my just being aware of these attributes my life is richer with even more focus on others rather than me.

LINDA -- NEW YORK -- USA

Thank you for sharing those life-enhancing ear-openers (1-2-3) with us in "The Listening Connection". My husband and I have taken to practicing and integrating the dimensions and characteristics into our lifes.

Our 5-year marriage has been rejuvenateed by our focusing more on each others' needs and not on me during the past 30 days. It works! We've also found that this practice has carried over into our work and already been received with rewarding results.

We are both looking forward to partaking in your future ear-openers and their challenges.

KAREN -- OHIO -- USA

By using your ear-openers, my life has become much more tolerable at work.

My boss has been a tough individual to work with in the past year. She's encountered certain work-related over-bearing challenges along with personal family conflicts.

I began to implement ear-opener 1, 2, and 3 into my approach whenever directly or indirectly encountering her.

I constantly shift the point of conversation to her and off of "me".

I try to keep my focus of attention on specific items and not keep changing my mind just to meet everybody's expectations, especially in talking with her.

I'm holding back and not interrupting her with my off-the-cuff not thought-thru remarks.

My boss is actually starting to confide in me

Thank you --"The Listening Connection".

TERRI -- COLORADO -- USA

I must admit, ear-opener #3 knocked me over upon reading and receiving it's message.

My profession of being in advertising and marketing has called me to come up with new and exciting ideas all the time. So, whenever encounterinng others I'm constantly spouting off with this or that idea.

This timely "Listening Connection" article hit me hard - head on. #'s 1 and 2 also apply in this situation. However #3 really made me think. My thoughts and ideas that I've been expressing to others have sounded not well thought thru and with very little depth as mere "INTERRUPTERS". I confirmed my feelings with 4 of my close friends and/or challenges.

My major focus is no longer on me, but on how significant others' ideas are and how their ideas can enhance our advertising and marketing efforts.

My focus is now properly on "others".

JIM -- CALIFORNIA -- USA

Six months ago I left a company as a top level manager. During the past two years, before my resigning, I was receiving directions from many different directions within this company that were leading us nowhere with mixed-confused messages / inconsistent messages / and messages drawing our team(s) to incorrect dead-end conclusions.

It began to visibly appear to all the workers and foremen that each top level management person admired their own individual ideas so much that no compromising was occurring and each was trying to run the company and projects that pleased their individual desires.

Projects were delayed many times, disloyalty and mistrust set into the minds of every worker, and exiting customers were leaving us with jobs that were eventually completed by other companies

Yes, six months ago I left a company that had shakey and inconsistent footings, wavering all over the board with its ideas and determinations, and was dramatically suffering from a wildly-speading epidemic of "The Me Factor".

I've now relocated several states away with a company that really collectively values all employee input and draws concise and sound decisions for and with its customers.

TOM -- MINNESOTA -- USA

A church group that I've belonged to for the past 10 years became a very enjoyable spirit and life-fulfilling event once a month for both myself and the other members.

About 10 months ago, a new member in the community joined our church and shortly after joined in our monthly small group sessions.

The next thing we knew, this new member began to dominate the sessions by constantly expressing personal viewpoints and insisting that we all needed to adopt this person's personal agenda.

Also, this new member also made sure that others' viewpoints weren't to be heard or adopted. This person would constantly interrupt people and not allow them to finish their statement.

Several of us individually adressed this issue and this person's unusual behavior to the pastor. The pastor stated that he would talk with that person. However, this person had become a very large donor to the church in the past 3 months. The pastor was unable to reason with this person, and so this long-standing and spiritual group, concerned mainly about helping others, was forced to disband.

The "Me Factor" of one individual destroyed this caring group and its life-giving caring efforts.

Several of us that were long-time members continue to pray over this matter.

SUE -- WASHINGTON -- USA

I've committed my life to helping others, dedicated and concered about others' concerns and issues, and completely loyal to those I serve daily.

The "Me" Factor has not been a part of my life for the past 12 years and continues to be most rewarding when I am serving God and others.

I really enjoy helping others succeed and, in turn, watching those same indivduals help others to succeed and grow.

My happiness is generated by my abundantly helping and serving others to grow, prosper, work thru the challenges, take the next step, and in their sharing their rewards with others.

I'm inspired by your messages put forth in your book - The Breathing Blanket -- and by your messages of "serving others first" in The Listening Connection editions. Thank you.

4) SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER THOUGHT PROVOKER

-- Norman Vincent Peale
The Power of Positive Thinking

5) Ear-Opening Package Special

The Breathing Blanket (book)
GREG BAUER – AUTHOR – VICTIM AND SURVIVOR OF A NEAR-DEATH DRUNK-DRIVING CRASH EXPERIENCE REVEALS IN HIS RECENTLY RELEASED INSPIRATIONAL BOOK – THE BREATHING BLANKET – HOW YOU CAN DISCOVER AN “I CAN DO IT” ATTITUDE BY INTERNALLY “UTILIZING THE POWER OF EFFECTIVE-ACTIVE- LISTENING”.

Celebrate Selling the Consultative Relationship Way (book)
Greg Bauer -- "The Guru of Listening" -- Co-Author
Opportunities in your personal life and corporate life are created by actively promoting and practicing relationship building and active listening efforts. This book reveals ways to establish and build relationships in customer service, management, sales, networking and self-promotion in the 21st century.

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ATTENTION: SUBSCRIBERS

(1) Our focus of this Newsletter will continue and remain on techniques, skills, and attitudes toward how we better "Utilize the Power of Effective-Active-Listening"™ in future issues.

(2) Your ideas and suggestions as to subjects you would like to hear about in the upcoming issues of this Newsletter - The Listening Connection - pertaining to listening would really be appreciated and we would like to hear from you at gregbauer@listenone.com.

In The Spirit of Sharing With Others . . .
. . . Opportunities Become Accomplishments™

©Greg Bauer (President, Greg Bauer & Associates, Inc. / DBA Listen1) Editor/Publisher 2006

· Looking forward to our sharing the next edition of The Listening Connection