WHY LISTENING IS IMPORTANT

Have you ever wondered if you are a good listener? Did you know that the average person listens with only about 25% efficiency? (Effective Listening, 2007) A recent study revealed that less than two percent of people have had any formal education on how to listen. These numbers may be due to the assumption that most of us may have when it comes to evaluating our own listening skills (Effective Listening, 2007). I would like to share with you my own experience that taught me the hard way how easy it is to misinterpret someone’s message when you are not listening.  

It was when I was in my last year of high school. Everyone was getting out of their classes for lunch break, and I was supposed to meet up with my friends to go out for lunch. I was on my way to my locker with my headphones in my ears listening to music when the janitor stopped me and said what I thought was “close the door”. I continued to keep walking and didn’t even acknowledge him. It was at this moment, I saw all my friends waving at me from across the hall. They were heading out and one of my buddies yelled my name and gestured me to move faster with their hands. I took off at a running pace and the next thing I remember, were my feet briefly flailing in the air as I landed with a very hard thud right on my backside. It turns out the janitor was actually saying “careful wet floor”. Think about it, I was a high school kid, everyone was watching. Suffice to say, I was scarred for life. Luckily, I had great friends and they only teased me for the rest of the school year.

It was only when I started to study the techniques of how to actually listen, did I realize how important it is for communication. In order to avoid a similar fate as mine, I want to share with you the keys to building powerful listening skills.  Lend me your ears fellow bloggers and ask yourself, are you ready to listen?