Listening heads

A successful friend of mine once had the idea of us returning to the town where we grew up to exchange wisdom with the high school kids who came after us. We could set up workshops and build networks that would benefit both sides.

I thought it was a great idea until I heard him go on and on about everything we would tell them. “Yes”, I said, “and then we would learn what it’s like to be a teenager today!” He went silent. I could tell he wasn’t the least bit interested in hearing what the kids had to say. He wanted to talk about himself.

I often fall into this trap myself, which makes me such a lousy interviewer. I want to impress my subjects with how much research I’ve done, and I can tell it annoys them. It’s not about me, it’s about them. Maybe that’s why I like this blog – because it’s all about me?