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Personal Development
The Power of Listening
Are you paying attention?
How well do you listen when someone speaks to you? Do you make eye contact and truly hear them, or are you distracted by looking at your watch or phone? Have you considered how these actions affect them? Whether you realize it or not, your listening habits shout volumes and communicate much more than words ever could.
Read on to learn how to enhance your listening skills.
How well do you listen?
How would you rate your ability to listen? Do you somewhat pay attention, listen intently, or merely hear them talking like the adults in a Charlie Brown cartoon — wha-wha, wha-wha, wha-wha?
Did you know listening is a skill you can improve? It is one of the most valuable skills anyone can possess, with plenty of room to grow for most.
Listening means making sense of what you hear when others speak. This requires paying attention, interpreting, understanding, learning, and connecting.
Disputes and problems in the home and workplace often arise because someone is not truly listening. Sharpening your listening skills is vital for maintaining and improving relationships.
Let’s start by looking at the word “listen”. The Oxford Languages online dictionary defines it as “to give one’s attention to a sound.” This definition doesn’t capture the full essence of listening. To understand it better, consider its opposites: ignore, disregard, reject, neglect, dispute, and speak. These antonyms describe what too many people do when they should be listening.
Why do so many treat others with disregard? Are they selfish and don’t understand the benefits of really listening? Whether they do or not, when someone speaks to you and you don’t give them your full attention, you’re telling them that what they say is unimportant, which is disrespectful. Is that how you want to treat others?
Perhaps one of the reasons we do not listen well is we do not understand its importance and benefits. Let’s examine what you gain by sharpening your listening skills.
Benefits of better listening
