Small Business Today Magazine AUG 2014 SIVER STONE EVENTS | Page 14

EDITORIALFEATURE

Are You Listening or a

Listener-In-Training?
By Rita Santamaria

H

igh ranking military officers, surgeons,
CEO’s, and people not accustomed to
taking orders are not the best listeners,
we are told. On the other hand, actors
and athletes, for example, are good listeners
as they are accustomed to being coached.

Some people do not listen because they
just don’t want to. Others consider themselves multitaskers and believe they can do
many different tasks at one time. In doing
so, they’re unable to listen attentively because they are distracted by multiple activities taking place simultaneously.

Some people do not listen
because they just don’t
want to. Others consider
themselves multitaskers
and believe they can
do many different tasks
at one time.
Here are some suggestions for being
a listener-in-training:

• Be aware of listening to the speaker.

12 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ AUGUST 2014 ]

• Prepare to listen by focusing on the
speaker. Put other concerns or distractions out of your mind so you are
not sidetracked.
• Don’t doodle; don’t look at the computer screen; and don’t glance at your
cell phone. These are behaviors that
distract the listening process. They
also send messages to the speaker
that you are bored at best and not
interested in the least.

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