The Art of Listening

The other day,

I was talking on phone to RVP, a friend of mine. Things were heating up a bit, as they usually do when we talk longer than a certain threshold time-period. In the course of quarrel, she snapped, “You never pay attention to what I am saying!” This was the 455th time she’s said this - 455 being the number of days since we started talking to each other. So it wouldn’t have come as a surprise, if it wasn’t for the angst.

That made me sit up and take notice.

Listening is a prime requirement for my profession. As a technical writer, I have to interview the Subject Matter Experts for information. Going by the peer reviews and feedback received over the last two years, I seem to be doing a fairly good job of it.

Furthermore, as a senior editor of Pulse, our company’s monthly newsletter, I often interview the top management, and senior project managers/team leaders. Since we have not yet begun with the practice of using a tape-recorder during these interviews, I note down the salient points and then expand upon it, mostly from the memory. The drafts are sent to the interviewees and they invariably come back with minor changes, if any.

The point I am trying to make here is:

When it comes to office work, not many are complaining about my listening skills. Is talking to our family-members, friends, and relatives any different, in terms of communication?

Apparently,

... there does seem to be a difference. Ever since this realization has dawned, I have started to pay attention to the way I listen or interrupt during talks. Hope the improvement is perceptible to those whom it concerns!