By Many people have often taken communication to mean speaking at any given opportunity; however, listening is equally a special part of this process and perhaps the most needed if we are to make any progress in any meaningful conversation.” (Dennis Odeny)
I believe for an individual to communicate effectively with others, we need to be good listeners. Listening is a form of communication which requires minimal interruption and more of keeness.
In our current day and age, we are using various platforms to ease the flow of communication. Such as messaging apps like Slack, Microsoft Teams and zoom which offer features for direct messaging, group chats and video conferencing.
Unfortunately, our art of communicating effectively has dwindled due to using shortened words when communicating. Thus, in written form proving to be a challenge. It’s a huge concern especially for the youth who are the future of this generation. We are ignorant towards equipping ourselves with knowledge and skills yet we expect to be good communicators.
Another major concern is that we expect that one lesson of communication we did few years ago will be our turning point in the next one. This is a huge lie since we need to be up to date with the emerging trends of communication.
We are also victims of being unbothered. Anything that is conveyed which is somehow of essence to us is taken to be ‘none of our business.’ Thus, when something of concern to us emerges, we end up learning of it when it’s too late.
Listening on the other hand is a form of communication which sometimes proves hard to practice to the latter. This is since as individuals we are so eager to respond immediately. There is an urge which comes within us that if we fail to respond, we are bound to forget.
The conversation ends up being more chaotic and less intriguing. To be honest, we all fall prey to that and it’s demoralising.
*How do we cofactor both?
The art of being an effective communicator and a good listener stems down to learning a lot. It’s vital to read a lot and know how different authors have used different approaches in their form of writing. Additionally, their choice of words among many other factors.
Communication and listening go hand in hand. We need to be good listeners so as to communicate the message effectively.
As individuals, we cofactor both in our day to day activities. Thus, how we interpret the message really matters alot. It may end up being distorted or wrongfully conveyed.
We cofactor both by possessing interest towards improving ourselves in both communicating effectively and listening. It’s important to know our weak points and work on them.
Further, it’s through being intentional about both communicating and listening effectively. Purpose to learn from others and know how various individuals have mastered both. Then practise that gradually.
The world we are living in demands of us to be good at our craft. This is especially in terms of communication. We need to be in a position to convey the message correctly and effectively. Thus, listening comes in whereby one needs to capture every detail conveyed either via word or written form.
In conclusion, let’s strive to do better in both communicating effectively and being good listeners.
