Why is listening so hard?
In communications theory classes, professors note that the part of the communications model that fails most often is the listening (or receiving) segment.
Articles in the Wall Street Journal report that U.S. corporations lose gazillions of dollars each year because of employees' failure to LISTEN. Because instructions aren't followed and tasks must be redone. Because customer orders are taken down incorrectly. And on and on.
In terms of relationships, we fail because we don't listen to each other.
Why is listening so hard?
Perhaps because of the fundamental human condition: we are more interested in ourselves than we are in anyone else!
I'm wondering what would happen if each of us tried an experiment. What if each of us vowed to listen attentively to just one other person each day. What if each of us quit thinking of our next brilliant comment; what if each of us totally focused on another person once a day.
My dad used to tell me, "You have two ears and one mouth. Use them accordingly."
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