Do People Listen To Each Other?

I’ve been on a few different Boards throughout the years. I was on the Long Island Center for Business and Professional Women Board, NAWBO-LI Board and Long Island Women’s Agenda Board. After a while, I lost interest and moved on. Now I’m on the Long Island Forum for Technology Board and my local synagogue’s board. (I was also asked to be on some other boards but I’m currently deciding….)

Tonight we had a Temple Board Meeting. It was actually a more respectful meeting than the ones in the past. One of the Board members, actually said that what upset her most about these meetings, is that people talk and no one listens! Such truth here!

At the last meeting, which I was not at, the board decided that they didn’t want to give our current Rabbi a three year contract, or a two year contract. They decided that they wanted to give him a contract. The contract committee heard what they thought they heard and negotiated with the rabbi.

At this meeting, they told the board that the negotiating committee decided to offer a three year contract. WHAT? The board told the committee to do one thing and the committee turned around and did what they wanted to do?

I started to think about my office. I feel that when I say something to someone, it doesn’t sink in. I’ll say to someone, I want to see something done like this and when it comes back it looks like that! Is there something wrong with this picture?

Is it that we miscommunicate with each other?  How can we learn to communicate better so that we can understand each other? And, how can we listen enough to get the job done right the first time around?