Say What? (Do You Know How to Listen?)

Clean out your ears!

Active listening is as important as vision.

If only people could just improve their listening skills by using a box of Qtips (which, by the way, were originally called Baby Gays — I kid you not!)

I was speaking with a colleague this morning about all the mistakes I made early on in starting my business. At least half of them could have been avoided if I listened to the right people. Why don’t we listen sometimes?

• We think we’re smarter than the people who are talking
• We think that whatever they tell us may apply to MOST people but not to us
• We are bored by them
• We are distracted
• We’re busy listening to ourselves talk
• We’re busy Tweeting what they’re saying as opposed to absorbing and processing it

The noisy world around us — combined with the need to shove earbuds into our heads — is contributing to hearing loss, according to this article.

Perhaps this is a good year to clean out your ears (literally and figuratively),  talk less and listen more. Surrounding oneself with the right advisors, avoiding distractions and multitasking, and remaining open to new ideas can all lead to innovation and positive change. And, of course, listening to others with more experience and a different perspective can sometimes prevent costly errors.

I think I’ll even listen to my own advice this time!