How to be a better listener in a world where everyone’s talking
“Oh yeah, you’re right,” he answers.
It’s the second morning of my visit to our San Francisco office.
Between my colleague and I lie a computer screen, a smartphone face-up, and a time-sensitive issue that I’m trying to explain.
Even though he makes eye contact and offers the occasional nod or “mm-hmm,” his eyes often dart back to his screen.
I know he is not listening.
Apparently, only about 10 percent of us listen effectively. And when we don’t listen — I mean really listen — we shortchange ourselves and our conversation partner.
At JotForm, we have 130 employees and 4.2 million users. Listening has proven invaluable to our growth. Indeed, listening to our customers brought us 1 million new users last year alone.
But just like public speaking, listening is a skill that requires deliberate practice.
Given that humans have an average eight-second attention span, it can be challenging, but good listening is worth every bit of the effort.
The sound value of listening
“We should all know this: that listening, not talking, is the gifted and great role…
