Regaining The Art Of Listening

What comes to mind when you think about listening? Do you see yourself impatiently waiting. Maybe you sit in silence as someone drones on. You have important things to say. However, you are also trying to be polite. If only this person would shut up. You could then speak your important words.

It makes little difference what the person speaks of. He or she may be mentioning knife sets. Maybe they are talking about ecology. Deep down inside, many people care little about anything but themselves. They are more concerned with what they have to say.

This scenario may be a bit extreme. However, you are probably guilty of it, occasionally. This is very destructive behavior. It can cause many different types of problems. Here are some ideas to consider.

Learning

Learning is a process that works best when you listen. When the mouth is open, it somehow shuts off the ears. The mouth should be shut to improve learning. Besides, when you speak, you are relating things that you already know. There is no new knowledge entering your head.

Opportunity

You need to provide yourself with the best educational opportunities available. Stop thinking of your needs for several moments. Clear your thoughts. Take this time to maximize your learning. Think of it as preparing a large meal. It is time to make the salad. Do you use cheap chopping and cutting tools? It would be best to use something like a Henckels knife set. In this way, you increase your chance for success.

An open mind with a closed mouth, represents cheap tools. If you want good tools, clear your mind and attempt to comprehend what is being said. It is fine to ask someone to repeat what they said. It may take a while to form the habit of good listening.

Impression

You will impress people if you actually listen. There are few things more flattering than a captive audience. If you want to impress the opposite sex, listen to them. You may find a whole new world opening up to you.

Summary

When you properly listen, you can learn many things. You may have to change your habits, to do so. You are not waiting for your turn to speak. Clear your thoughts and take in what is being said. This gives you good listening tools. Good tools are the difference between cheap cutlery and a finely made knife block set. The better the tools, the better you can listen. Are you interested in impressing the opposite sex. Become a captive audience.

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The Importance Of Stuttering Therapies

The importance of communication is well known; whether it be communication in the workplace, in a social environment or within the home, to be able to communicate with others in a fluid and cohesive manner is vital. So what about those people in the community who have a speech impediment and who therefore are unable to speak in a fluent way for this reason? Can you imagine just how difficult it is for people who stutter to succeed in business and life?

I was one such person, yes I had a stutter, in fact I had one for eighteen years of my life. Life back then (I have enjoyed the last thirteen years being able to talk fluently) was tough and what made it even more difficult to bear was the fact that people had no idea as to what I was going through. There was certainly a lack of care, or at least it seemed that way.

In my early twenties I was working for a rather large financial corporation in the UK. I had a rather basic role within the organization however was often appalled at the lack of communication skills within the higher management. These people were able to speak free from any form of speech impediment yet chose not to. This was of massive frustration to many of the staff but especially to myself for obvious reasons. It was as if they could not be bothered to pass on information or to advise of the changes within the business, verbally or via e-mail.

Having a stutter in the workplace was quite an experience; you certainly get to know who your real friends are. Stuttering, or stammering as some people call it, nearly ruined my life however I did eventually manage to achieve fluency. 

I have two pieces of advice for the readers of this article; firstly to the people who have a stutter – do not give up – if I can overcome my stutter then there is no reason why you can’t overcome yours. Secondly to the higher management of businesses – poor communication skills can often lead to lower profits therefore start communicating!

I now run a five day stuttering cure speech course. The courses are based in Birmingham, England.

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