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Communication

Success through Listening

It sounds simple doesn't it, success through listening? But most of us don't listen very well. We don't listen to instructions. We don't listen to advice. And we certainly don't listen well to correction or other people's points of view. We may be hearing words but do we comprehend? Are we really totally focused, trying to tune in? Are we catching the nuances? Most people actually communicate more through tone and body language then they do words. Are we getting the whole communication? Most of us are to busy thinking our own thoughts when somebody else is trying to talk to us. We're running our own little dialogue, sometimes completely tuned out to what someone else is trying to communicate. Maybe we're to busy thinking what we want to say, or thinking negative thoughts about what's being said. Or maybe our mind is just elsewhere.

Listening is an art. People who listen well are those who go to the head of their class and the head of their career, have the best family relationships and the most friends. Why? In career areas it should be obvious; those who listen well, who take instructions well, who actually understand precisely what is expected of them are going to enjoy exceptional success. Why are ten percent of salesman (or ministers) super successful while the other ninety percent struggle? The ten percent have learned to listen. Carefully. They have learned to empathize, to put themselves in the shoes of the people they are dealing with. You can learn to do the same. The main complaint that most family members seem to have about each other is that they just don't listen. Be a good listener and you've gone a long way towards building strong relationships within your family (and anywhere else).

The interesting thing is that most people just want to be listened to. They just need somebody to care enough to spend a few minutes to really pay attention and focus just on them. When you truly listen to somebody else you make him or her feel "visible." Most people feel "invisible" because they think that nobody really cares about them, understands them, or listens to them. Giving somebody visibility through the art of listening is one of the single greatest gifts that you can give. Start giving today-generously.

by C.V. Doner