Points to Ponder for Good Listening

1. Stop Talking
   You can't listen if you're talking.
   
2. Put Speakers At Ease
   Help them feel they're free to talk.  This is often called a permissive environment.
   
3. Show That You Want To Listen
   Look and act interested (even if they can't see you).  Don't read mail while the other person talks.  Listen to understand rather than to oppose.
   
4. Remove Distractions
   Don't doodle, tap or shuffle papers.  What can you do to make it quieter?
   
5. Empathize With the Speaker
   Try to put yourself in the speaker's place so you can see his/her point of view.  Say things like "I imagine I'd have questions about this, too." or "I know if this happened to me, I'd probably be upset."
   
6. Be Patient
   Don't start to end the conversation before the speaker is ready.  Allow plenty of time.  Don't interrupt.
   
7. Hold Your Temper
   Anger creates the wrong meaning from words.
   
8. Go Easy on Argument and Criticism
   Arguing and criticizing put the other person on the defensive.  They may stop talking or get angry.
   
9. Ask Questions
   This encourages and shows you're listening.  It helps develop other points.
   
10. Stop Talking
    This is first and last – because all other points depend on it.  You just can't do a good listening job while you're talking.
    

quick update

Figured I would say something as it has been a while. I have been busy with Jade, finding a different place to live and work. I do plan to post more eventually but it will be for a while, when it does happen it will only be at my main instead of blogger, I have been checking through a few coldfusion based blog setups and hoping to decide on one soon, but I am very picky something with not wanting to update it ever again after I figure out which one I want.
Cheers

Blogger Bio v1

I keep meaning to finish this, it has been sitting as a saved item for a while, just festering as it may happen to be well.

My name is Josh Knutson originally from Brooten, MN. I lived at the homestead till I was 18 or so, trying to fill whatever roles I had to fill. At the age of 8...or was it 9 I received a kidney transplant, the kidney that I received was given to me in a little box courtesy of my mother:) I went to school at BBE. I worked at the Wilmar Wal-Mart during some of my high school years as I eventually transferred to the Alexandria Wal-Mart when I started the tech college there.

I went to college in Alexandria at the ATC. I graduated twice, once for Computer Programming and the next year I graduated from Web Development Programming. I did have many good times up in Alexandria, none that I would have trade in for anything else, I tried having the majority of events revolve my friends. If someone could win over my friends then chances are they could win me over. As I sometimes like to reflect back to all the little gatherings my roommate Allison and I would have had to have been some really good times indeed. Something always warms my heart and soul to just sit there and visit with friends for hours on end, well I normally would try just listening as I find myself particularly uneventful, but most people do it seems. During the second year or my College expenditure several friends and I decided to join BPA, the competitions that we participated in we actually did decent from that we had going on. We went to nationals which were held down in Florida. The third year I was in college I was once again in BPA but for this year we traveled to New York for the National Competition.


I graduated and decided to take a road trip down to the New Mexico and Mexico area from Minnesota in my pickup. When I got back I picked up a job in Lakeville, MN at the company of IMAGETREND and have had a good time with that so far.



In July of 2007 I met a girl one time when I was visiting friends up in St. Cloud as it was somewhat a halfway between Alexandria and Lakeville in an obscure way. Well I met a girl there that in some way I swear put a spell on me that captivated me, and I just wanted to know a little more information about Ashley. In any case as the story goes, I fell for her, she fell for me. She became pregnant...and I'm jumping out of my skin awaiting the arrival of a new child to have in my life. The opportunities in life can be so endless only if we take advantage what we have around us, to be so content with life that you feel extreme satisfaction in life.


I'll put in a different post of why I am blogging and how I might be able to help a few people out there that need some help occasionally.

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Strange Rant

People wonder sometimes why I don't get attached to material things as mush as some people4 do. Could be my religion of Joshism or it could it could be I don't have time to be somber as much as some people do. Some people block out pain, I don't, I let it wash over me and accept it as it is. Some might say that I have disillusions of grandeur but I know a little and guess the rest. I try to give my self to so many people yet when I become selfish I seem to upset so many. Maybe I would be happier to be a hermit somewhere or live a few hundred years ago. Sometimes I wake up and think of all the people that have gone through my life and smile, appreciating all of the small trivial things that make those moments so unique with those people.

Tribulations and salutations to all the people I know and those that call me friend, some might say friend is a four letter word but friends I have no matter where I go it seems as I make my rounds in this life knowing as little as I actually know still seeming to impress. Some say I speak in riddles whilst I speak plainly dwelling on lore where my heart and soul rest to each day I postulate some new means to the end with some help of my friend. To prepare for the future but look upon the past for inspiration as I seem to crawl through this life of mine. but it does tend to be a very fulfilling crawl if that is what it is

Random Story

As the car came to a jerking stop I realized that that the oil must have a leak, as the sensors now were coming to life, almost yelling at me. I got out of the car to rummage through the trunk to look for some quarts. I checked my phone and saw no reception; this day couldn’t get any worse I figured. I spotted a farmhouse only a mile ahead, figured I might as well make the trek and ask for some oil or at least call my boss to let him know I wouldn’t be at the conference. I started to head out as the clouds seemed to be moving faster than before to be gathering just around me. I looked up at the farm place and saw some kids dart inside like I was some evil spirit coming in with the cold weather. My long rugged coat I knew would keep me warm but the rain was starting to fall on my face where it seemed colder than anything else I can remember. I approached the house and in the window I saw this man with a huge beard giving me this evil look, nothing like showing up to an Amish house for some salvation as I look like a demon for sure by the rain and fog I knew this dreary evening couldn’t get much worse now, with the turbulent winds and the lighting ringing within my head.

Random Story again

Gees what does my psychiatrist know I started thinking to myself as I drove around town heading towards my original home. He told me to go to my ten year high school reunion figured it would be good for me. It seems like I ran from here but I just keep myself busy traveling the world after I did a stunt with the army. Finally Blake Ave and 14^th Street and their lies not my home now but a Citgo fuel station, a gas station, where in the world did my house go. I guess my psychiatrist lied to me, you can’t always go home, but you might be able to buy groceries their.

Rebates and the demon within

So I was cleaning my room today, found something mysterious in a bag...it was a verizon bag. Turns out I had a rebate from a while back to send out. I checked the date and found out that the day the rebate ends is tomorrow. Figured I would check online to see if I could do a pre-submmsion thing. Apparently not, even though its suppose to be at their door at the latest tomorrow.
I think we have to rebel against mail in rebates, I mean Office Max has slowly stopped doing their little mail rebates and I'm actually buying more stuff their because of this.

Homework assignment for the readers:

1. What is your opinion of rebates in general?

2. What is your opinion of mail-in-rebates and should companies stop them?