World-renowned economic-development expert Dr. Ernesto Sirolli cites his first aid project in Africa in the early 1970s as an example of how experts can get it all wrong. He told a TEDx audience about teaching villagers in Southern Zambia how to plant tomatoes. According to him, as the tomatoes grew, he kept reminding them of how easy it was to undertake agriculture in Africa. When the tomatoes were nice, ripe and red, overnight some 200 hippos came out from the river and ate everything. While he and his team were shellshocked, the villagers seemed unsurprised. When he asked why they didnt tell them, they simply replied, You never asked. The lesson is if you want to help someone youve got to listen to them. Doctors, counsellors, pastors, politicians, lawyers, consultants and other experts often prescribe solutions without asking questions or listening to the full story or symptoms. Wrong prescriptions are killing innocent people in various fields everyday. Effectiveness in any field requires an ability to listen to and understand the needs, realities and expectations of key stakeholders. Learn more about the discerning Power of LISTENING in todays lesson at the Springboard SMS Academy. If you live in Ghana, sign up by texting the word Springboard to short-code 1984 (for MTN or Airtel users) or 1985 (Vodafone or TIGO) today.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 09:21:42 +0000
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