‘Smile and nod’ is not the best decision making strategy
Effective decision making requires that you compile and review all aspects of a situation before making a sound decision. People with a hearing loss inevitably miss some of the information without even realizing it in most cases. This is especially true if the hearing loss has been gradual and left undiagnosed.
Something as simple as purchasing a gift is frustrating when you suffer from hearing loss. Someone tells you what they wanted, but you’re not entirely sure what she said so you buy the wrong thing.
Or, you could be in a situation where a hearing loss wreaks havoc on your portfolio because you didn’t hear your co-worker say that Lehman Bros. was in trouble. In either case, the wrong decision was made because of ineffective gathering of information due to hearing loss.
Most people with a hearing impairment will automatically answer “yes†to any question. This happens because they don’t want to admit they can’t hear and become embarrassed when they have to ask people to repeat information. Another reason is because it gets tiring trying to read lips and facial expressions to determine what’s being said – sometimes it’s just easier to nod. Unfortunately, this will get you into trouble more often than not.
What are you waiting for? Get yourself a hearing aid and stop these bad decisions in their tracks.
