Do You Hear That?

I read a report in the Toronto Star stated that 70% of workplace errors happen because of communication breakdown and that many of them directly relate to a lack of listening skills.

The challenge is most people filter out sounds, noises and people talking as much as they filter out most of the things their eyes see.

On one level, this is important. You would go crazy if you processed everything that you heard and you would never be able to have a conversation with a person in a crowded room. However, we get in this habit so much of the time that we literately filter out things that are important to us.

Another challenge is that we can hear 5 to 10 times faster than we can talk, so our brains start to think of other things rather than focusing on understanding what is being said. In addition, there are many types of listeners and most people don't even realize which they are.

I have heard about many team projects that had disastrous results where the people involved "heard" something different and had a different view of the outcome.

I have a photo "of what someone heard", of a plane in a hanger and what subsequently surrounds the plane. When the supervisor was leaving he said, "Don, turn off the suds machine" Don thought he heard, don't turn off the suds machine, and thought ok? The next morning the hanger was filled with suds and the only parts left showing was the tail of the airplane.

It shows how, what we heard is our interpretation of what we think they said, after it has gone through our brain filtering system. I have seen many people hold grudges days, over what they believed was said, and not what the person actually said.

This saying sums it up nicely.

I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant." ?Unknown

The benefits that come from improving your listening skills can mean the difference between moving ahead in your career, knowledge and skills or falling behind and wondering why.

Some of the benefits are:

Resolves Conflict - You are able to understand the other person better which leads to resolutions.
Increases performance ? When everyone is working on the same goal, you can perform like a well-oiled machine and everyone wins in the end.
Increases your knowledge - Chances are you will learn important information and ideas that will help you.

There are many ways to improve your listening.

Some of them are:

Make sure you are not talking
Remove distractions i.e. TV, radio, other people
Check your emotions
Watch for non-verbal clues

There are people who have said that they know they interrupt a lot, but are afraid of forgetting what they want to say. However, it is hard to reply to something when you haven't been listening to them in the first place. You are guessing at what they mean.

There are several things you can do to assist yourself, such as a note pad to jot down a word or two to help trigger your memory.

Sadly though, many people only listen to reply and not to understand. These people often don't realize the many benefits they are leaving behind.

"It is the province of knowledge to speak and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

All the Best!
Maria Boomhower
The Master Communicator
To sign up for a free report on
"The 7 Secrets to Communication Mastery"
go to: http://www.falconfreedom.com
Master Communicator Blog

P.S. If you like what you're reading in this ezine,
you'll love the book, "Overcoming Barriers to Communication"
Answer the questions;
Why doesn't anyone understand me?
Why do I have such a hard time getting my message across?
go to:Overcoming Barriers to Communication

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Google News Updated : Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:25:40 GMT Boeing union leaders recommend strike - MarketWatch Washington Post Boeing union leaders recommend strike MarketWatch - 1 hour ago By MarketWatch Leaders of the International Machinists and Aerospace Workers on Friday rejected Boeing's third and final contract proposal and recommended its workers vote to go on strike. Union Leaders Reject Boeing Contract Offer Wall Street Journal Boeing Union Urges Workers to Reject Offer, Setting Up Strike Bloomberg Bizjournals.com - guardian.co.uk - The Associated Press - TheStreet.com all 1,041 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:15:15 GMT US Economy: Spending Slows, Inflation Accelerates (Update1) - Bloomberg Washington Post US Economy: Spending Slows, Inflation Accelerates (Update1) Bloomberg - 6 hours ago By Shobhana Chandra Aug. 29 (Bloomberg) -- US consumer spending grew at a slower pace in July as the impact of the tax rebates faded and a pickup in inflation eroded Americans' buying power. Bonds fall on mixed economic reports CNNMoney.com Consumer spending flags, but confidence rises Reuters Wall Street Journal - New York Times - MarketWatch - AHN all 520 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:25:06 GMT Microwave baby killer convicted - BBC News BBC News Microwave baby killer convicted BBC News - 3 hours ago A US court in Dayton, Ohio, has convicted a mother of murdering her one-month-old daughter by burning her to death in a microwave oven. Video: Prosecutor: Ohio Mom Killed Baby in Microwave AssociatedPress US jury convicts mom in microwaved-baby case International Herald Tribune ToTheCenter.com - WZTV - NBC6.net - Dayton Daily News all 689 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:30:22 GMT Obama’s Plane Palin Problem - FOXNews BBC News Obama’s Plane Palin Problem FOXNews - 2 hours ago by Major Garrett Reporters covering Barack Obama heard the news aboard Obama 1 (the campaign for the first time chartered a second plane for the swelling press corps), just before takeoff. Video: Raw Video: Schwarzenegger Praises Palin kcratv “Tougher in Alaska” host Geo Beach discusses Sarah Palin Christian Science Monitor CBS News - Chicago Tribune - The Star-Ledger - NJ.com - Seattle Post Intelligencer all 5,468 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:07:29 GMT Protests Rise in Thailand In Challenge to Regime - Wall Street Journal GulfNews Protests Rise in Thailand In Challenge to Regime Wall Street Journal - 1 hour ago By JAMES HOOKWAY and STEPHEN WRIGHT BANGKOK -- Waves of antigovernment protests spread beyond Thailand's capital Friday as clashes between police and demonstrators intensified, forcing the closure of several regional airports and disrupting rail ... Thai protest alliance not so happy with democracy The Associated Press US asks Thailand to end crisis through democratic means AFP New York Times - BBC News - guardian.co.uk - Reuters all 2,421 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:33:23 GMT Aid agencies scramble to help flood victims - CNN CBC.ca Aid agencies scramble to help flood victims CNN - 39 minutes ago (CNN) -- The grinding misery triggered by the massive floods in a downtrodden part of northeastern India and across the border in Nepal persisted Friday, with government and aid agencies swinging into action to help the 2 million-plus people fleeing ... India: Up to 2000 feared dead in Bihar floods guardian.co.uk Millions displaced in Bihar floods PRESS TV Reuters India - CNN International - New York Times all 551 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:45:57 GMT Earwax: Too Much of a Good Thing? - WebMD eFluxMedia Earwax: Too Much of a Good Thing? WebMD - 5 hours ago By Kelley Colihan Aug. 29, 2008 -- The body is a miraculous mechanism. Consider the once-lowly earwax. People used to try to remove it. Leave That Ear Wax Alone Washington Post National Guideline Against Ear Poking eFluxMedia MSNBC - RedOrbit - MedPage Today - eMaxHealth.com all 36 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:32:14 GMT Clickbank Content Work From Home

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