10 Quick Looks at Listening

by Dianne Schilling - Communication is more important then ever, yet we seem to devote less and less time to really listening to one another. Genuine listening has become a rare gift-the gift of time.

Dear Lifehacker,I'm a terrible listener. I want to do better, but I have trouble paying attention. I miss what people say a lot and end up embarrassing myself and offending them. How can I become a better listener for everyone's sake?

Improve your active listening skills, with James Manktelow & Amy Carlson. Listening is one of the most important skills you can have. How well you listen has a major impact on your job effectiveness, and on the quality of your relationships with others. For instance: We listen to obtain information.

Learning the art of listening can help you become more successful in business and in your personal life. You can develop deeper friendships, keener professional awareness, and a more meaningful understanding with your partner. You can experience greater fulfillment in your relationships due to conversations holding a deeper meaning.

This is but one part of a much larger series on listening to music. The full series is available by clicking on this items link.
St. Paul, Minn. - In 1936, a children's theater in Moscow asked Sergei Prokofiev to write them some music. Prokofiev came up with Peter and the Wolf, a narrated adventure about a boy who catches a wolf. Prokofiev used the story and the music to introduce children to the instruments of the orchestra.

You're having complex feelings about the things that happened with your partner yesterday. You feel upset and confused, there's so much going on. You meet your friend at a coffee shop, hoping to talk about some of this.

Listening well leads to better relationships with employees, vendors, strategic partners, and clients. And as everyone knows by now, good or bad relationships have a direct impact on an organization's bottom line.

Listening is the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process. Listening is key to all effective communication, without the ability to listen effectively messages are easily misunderstood - communication breaks down and the sender of the message can easily become frustrated or irritated.

Every day, we hear things--we hear a friend tell a story, or a waitress read back an order, and we definitely hear teachers lecture on subjects. But simply hearing words doesn't mean we're listening. And if we're not able to remember what we heard, real learning can't happen.

To become an effective communicator, you need to learn to listen just as much as you need to learn to speak. Unfortunately, most people focus more on the speaking than they do on the listening. Whether in a one-on-one conversation or a group meeting or classroom, focusing on what others are saying allows you to present yourself more effectively.

And for a Rock n' Roll perspective here are The Ramones singing You Gotta Learn to Listen... A loud way to end this list about listening.

"You gotta learn to listen, listen to learn
You gotta learn to listen, before you get burned
Learn to listen, listen to learn
You gotta learn to listen, before you get burned

You gotta have fun, not a fix in the arm
You gotta stay out of deep water
Happiness is something you've gotta earn
You gotta fight to make (your love into returns)

Learn to listen, listen to learn
You gotta learn to listen, before you get burned

You got (the rights) and there's always a temptation
This one more screwed up the nation
Gotta have a plan, gotta learn to listen
Gotta take a stab, you have my blessing, alright

You gotta take the cotton out of your ears
You gotta start hanging on to all your (affairs)
I've lived your life for so many years
All I got was self-pity and tears

Learn to listen, listen to learn
You gotta learn to listen, before you get burned"