November 29, 2018 – Express & Star –
Do we ever really listen?
I’ve always prided myself on being a ‘good listener’. Over the years of working in public-facing, community serving roles, I’ve had to practise ‘active listening’. If we really want to get technical here, we can identify the different types of listening:
- Informational Listening – where we listen to learn e.g. the way school children might listen to their maths teacher.
- Critical Listening- where we listen to evaluate/analyse, eg: the way a jury may listen to evidence to come to a verdict.
- Empathetic Listening – where we listen to understand feeling or emotion, eg: the way a therapist may listen to their client.
With all these types of listening, there is one key element, the ‘listener’ being quiet and allowing the other person to talk. Something many people find difficult. Let’s face it, we think communication is about talking. But perhaps it’s more about listening.
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Listening Seekers, what are your thoughts?