Yes, according to an article in the Harvard Management Update, listening is the most neglected communication skill we possess. It's one we're rarely taught and one we're seemingly not even well suited for physiologically.
Studies show our brains comprehend speech at four to five times faster than people normally speak.
So while people are talking we have lots of time for those mental excursions we too often take when we're supposed to be listening. Active listening takes work and time. It means registering and remembering a person's name when you're introduced, getting out of the habit of interrupting or finishing other people's sentences, and engaging in a conversation to the degree that you absorb information and understand it before considering your response. Listen in tomorrow, and we'll tell you how to become a better listener. All rights reserved .