NEED FOR LISTENING

NEED FOR  LISTENING 

Followings would highlight the importance of good listening:

(1) Poor listeners

Most of us think that we are good listeners – research has confirmed the opposite! people spend 45 % of their time listening (they spend 30 % of their time talking).

(2) Listening more

There is now a consensus among specialists that individuals should listen more, especially those going up the ladder of hierarchy. When they listen more, they learn more and when they learn more, they are able to provide better leadership.

(3) Poor retention and memory

Experience confirms that people are not only poor listeners but also poor in retaining and remembering. People can recollect only 50 % of what they hear and half of that also, they forget within 48 hours of hearing. When people were queried two days after they heard a speech, they tended to mix up subject matter and 30 % of the time replied incorrectly.

(4) Listening is not taught

As a part of growing and development through learning and education, children are taught reading, writing and even speaking. They are rarely taught how to listen, now considered to be the most essential skill . It is ignored in high schools and even in business schools where full credit subject of business communication skills is taught.
Now many companies are training their managers and leaders in the art of listening to help them incorporate listening as an important skill in their personality – it is a lot of hard work. Speaking (and teaching) is not as difficult as listening (and learning).