I Hear You. I Just Wasn’t Listening!

Are you a good listener? How do you know? Unless you have had people sincerely tell you that you are a good listener, chances are you are not. Most leaders at all levels are challenged with being good listeners, and it’s not because they think listening is an underrated talent. It’s because they already believe they’re doing a fine job of listening.

The problem with listening is that when we hear someone talk we think we are listening. This isn’t true. We hear words and noise. We listen when we think about and comprehend what the other person is saying.

So why is listening such a challenge? Here are three common barriers and three attractive qualities of listeners. (more…)