The rewards of
active listening

by Rick Boxx
A professional business coach told me about new training that she was about to receive in
some critical elements of communication. She had discovered many of the problems she
encountered in coaching business leaders were due to a lack of good communication skills,
including listening.

My conversation with her reminded me of the numerous times that I have dealt with energetic,
fast-paced sales people or entrepreneurs who make assumptions about what you are going to
say, and begin talking before you have had an opportunity to fully express your thoughts. Too
often, I have observed, this failure to listen properly and fully leads them to quick decisions
based on faulty or incomplete information.

A major part of good communication in business requires us to have and implement strong
listening skills. An individual may have excellent hearing and yet be a poor listener. Hearing is
one of the five physical senses, often an involuntary, subconscious response to sound waves
striking the ear drum. For instance, if something heavy crashes outside your office, you hear it -
even if you were not listening.

Listening, however, involves a conscious, intentional act of not only hearing what someone is
saying, but also striving to discern the meaning and intent of what is being said.
How can you know if you are a good listener?

  • If someone comes to you with a problem, do you give them the opportunity to present all of
    the necessary information, or do you cut them off abruptly, presuming that you understand
    their concerns?

  • If someone offers some criticism, do you react defensively, or do you try to determine
    whether there is some truth in what they are saying?

  • During a discussion, do you focus on the ones you are talking with, or does your mind drift
    to other, unrelated topics?

  • Do you actively attempt to understand what someone is saying to you, including their
    feelings, or do you quickly begin to think about what you will say in response?

The Old Testament of the Bible offers many valuable principles about communication, including
listening. For instance, Proverbs 18:13 teaches, "If one gives an answer before he hears, it is
his folly and shame." In the same chapter, it also states, "A fool finds no pleasure in
understanding but delights in airing his own opinions" (Proverbs 18:2). In other words, foolish
people have so much to say, they see no reason to stop long enough to listen to other people.
Once again the Bible provides us, as business leaders, with great insight - on how to be
successful, and also how to be of greatest value to the people that we both lead and serve.
If you desire to truly understand your customers, try listening. It sounds simple, but active
listening takes practice and some humility. Give it a try the next time you are meeting with a
customer. You might be surprised by the outcome.


Copyright 2009, Integrity Resource Center, Inc. Adapted with permission from "Integrity
Moments with Rick Boxx," a commentary on issues of integrity in the workplace from a
Christian perspective. For more information about receiving Integrity Moments in their e-mail
box, write to: rboxx@IntegrityMoments.com and type "subscribe" in the subject line or visit his
website, www.integrityresource.org.
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Editor's Note: The listening principles shared below can be applied not only at work, but also at home.