Listening, a Lost Art?
Listening, a Lost Art?
Has listening become a lost art? In an American society where the biggest, most expensive, and loudest are usually King, where does “listening”, patience, and sincere humility fit? Listening = $ and a better you, just ask marketing firms such as Saatchi & Saatchi and other companies such as Procter and Gamble focus on listening as an integral part of their complex matrix. They truly adapt, learn, and grow by connecting with the consumer to provide a collaborative relationship. This art sounds simple, but what are people really saying and what are your employees, family members, and consumers saying? We have what we want to hear, really hear, and what others are saying! Breaking this down is an art! You have so many obstacles such as human nature, body language, and layers of the onion to peel. Listening is a universal language we all can grow from. The silence between notes are just as important as the notes themselves. We all make noise, but to bring calm from the chaos is a challenging orchestrated multi-taking art. We all have something to say, but do we all have something to hear?
Help listening find a way. How can we refresh, capture and create value, and hear what others are saying. A good start is to analyze how, or if you are even being coherent to active listening, or merely participating with wandering thoughts and eyes! Like a first date, if you are interested you look that person in the eyes, exhibit body language of engaging perception, or you’re seeking the nearest distraction like a kid who ate all their Halloween candy, washed it down with a mountain dew, and forget their Ritalin! The average human listens for 17 seconds and loses attention span. In a time of rapid fire communication, if any at all, email, texting, summaries, reports, and all these speedy connections bombard time and thought. Making sense, and extracting what the “meat” of the subject is must be made easily accessible to facilitate fruition. To reiterate key points, what someone is saying, or even their name can say a lot to your partner (business or personal) sub consciously and deem you more equipped, or even skilled!
CLARITY
Collaborative Compassion
We were built for collaboration and community, engage and learn
Be open; provide service without expectation, an art in itself!
Listening and learning what others are doing, suggest, and is going on in society can allow you to integrate your thoughts and ideas with precise focus
Simple Steps
Try out not speaking while others are talking, duh! Listen with eyes, body, hands, position, ears…take the time, this investment pays dividends!
Take notes; carry a notepad (and pen, ha), start journal (“lessons learned”) bullet key points, articles/books to read…
Practice, practice, practice – perfect practice make perfect! Persevere with creative discipline!
Analyze (“5 and Alive”)
5 skills in your skill set (toolbox)
5 things you’re looking for from your company and believe in
5 things you have passion for
*read these, do they align with what you have planned and think of yourself? Are “you” listening to “you”?! – Have you ever answered your question while asking it or heard someone else?!
Listening = a better YOU, improved relationships, and even incentives such as $$$!
Has listening become a lost art? In an American society where the biggest, most expensive, and loudest are usually King, where does “listening”, patience, and sincere humility fit? Listening = $ and a better you, just ask marketing firms such as Saatchi & Saatchi and other companies such as Procter and Gamble focus on listening as an integral part of their complex matrix. They truly adapt, learn, and grow by connecting with the consumer to provide a collaborative relationship. This art sounds simple, but what are people really saying and what are your employees, family members, and consumers saying? We have what we want to hear, really hear, and what others are saying! Breaking this down is an art! You have so many obstacles such as human nature, body language, and layers of the onion to peel. Listening is a universal language we all can grow from. The silence between notes are just as important as the notes themselves. We all make noise, but to bring calm from the chaos is a challenging orchestrated multi-taking art. We all have something to say, but do we all have something to hear?
Help listening find a way. How can we refresh, capture and create value, and hear what others are saying. A good start is to analyze how, or if you are even being coherent to active listening, or merely participating with wandering thoughts and eyes! Like a first date, if you are interested you look that person in the eyes, exhibit body language of engaging perception, or you’re seeking the nearest distraction like a kid who ate all their Halloween candy, washed it down with a mountain dew, and forget their Ritalin! The average human listens for 17 seconds and loses attention span. In a time of rapid fire communication, if any at all, email, texting, summaries, reports, and all these speedy connections bombard time and thought. Making sense, and extracting what the “meat” of the subject is must be made easily accessible to facilitate fruition. To reiterate key points, what someone is saying, or even their name can say a lot to your partner (business or personal) sub consciously and deem you more equipped, or even skilled!
CLARITY
Collaborative Compassion
We were built for collaboration and community, engage and learn
Be open; provide service without expectation, an art in itself!
Listening and learning what others are doing, suggest, and is going on in society can allow you to integrate your thoughts and ideas with precise focus
Simple Steps
Try out not speaking while others are talking, duh! Listen with eyes, body, hands, position, ears…take the time, this investment pays dividends!
Take notes; carry a notepad (and pen, ha), start journal (“lessons learned”) bullet key points, articles/books to read…
Practice, practice, practice – perfect practice make perfect! Persevere with creative discipline!
Analyze (“5 and Alive”)
5 skills in your skill set (toolbox)
5 things you’re looking for from your company and believe in
5 things you have passion for
*read these, do they align with what you have planned and think of yourself? Are “you” listening to “you”?! – Have you ever answered your question while asking it or heard someone else?!
Listening = a better YOU, improved relationships, and even incentives such as $$$!
What?!
Brian Siegel
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