By Idris Ehi
Introduction:
Attention please!
Bring your tension down and pay attention to the vision I’m about to unveil which I strongly believe it will give you access to reality and portray possibility in your mind. something very important I will like to draw your attention to, but before I go further, permit me to ask this deep question "what is the food of the mind?" it might sound funny to many of you but I bet you, you will be surprise how stranded or little your effects in an attempt to answer this question could be. Let me shock you with this word, your understanding about something is the key factor that gives you access to reality in any area of life endeavor. To put you on track, I will like to start by saying that, the food of the mind is "information" can you imagine how relevant the question is? And how astonish you are at the answer? That is how surprise the important or value of paying perfect attention or listening skills could be to you. see, let me expose you to one secret that will help you in this journey; which is assumption and attention, assumption is the father of frustration and destiny miscarriage while attentiveness is the mother of success in life. I want you to believe with me that it’s so because, the level of your attention to details determines the verge at which you operate in every realm of life. There is a saying that “information is power and I said information is the engine board of transformation and the light or insight to realty. Your life is at the mercy of the information you receive, what you hear is what you believe and what you believe is capable enough to influence and transform you.
I will like introduce to you the necessity of information and how influential is it; yes! I told you even at that, information is as good as nothing without proper attention to its message which is the key value. What make information valuable are the message pass across and these messages need good attention to be well understood otherwise, all amount to nothing an exercise in futility. Your future, my future and our is anchored on the positive information we receive because knowledge, wisdom and life principles are not bought but acquired by the interest and value we have for this so core information. If there is anything at all to value, listening skills should be it.
This will take us into another dimension to passionately find out the value and the necessity in paying good attention to details. First and foremost, let’s take a look at what is information and attention: According to an oxford advance learner's dictionary, "information is the facts or details about somebody or something while attention is the act of listening to, looking at or thinking about something carefully.
From the definition, I think you got what it means by information and attention, and this will take you a long way in the concept of listening skills. Now, I believe you will agree with me that what gives value or meaning to information is attention. Hence, the need for value and necessity of listening skill as the concept or the sole purpose of our discussion is one of the major skills in communication that enhance communication and bring the important (messages) of it. it’s a ground at which success either in business, relationship, academic and politics laid upon, there is a need to talk and there is a room for listening but there is a need to also differentiate hearing and listening, this is one of the major place many people fails to understand and get everything wrong in life.
Hearing connote the sense used to perceive sound while listening is of something that is used in order to hear or to improve the ability to hear, it’s also an action that is performed with caution and attention to sounds. With these you were opened to the understanding of the fact that the level of your listening skills determines the level of your understanding about the basic elements of the essence of good attention. Good attention is as vital as oxygen to human or any other living being.
Listening is also the key to communication. If you want to make a difference in the world, or to be a great parent, or to have a brilliant relationship, or to lead and inspire people, or to be a real friend, or to be a star salesperson, or change the way people thinks forever, listening is the most important skill. Attention to details is one of the major ingredients that fast-tracks you into reality and other life endeavors.
Listening is the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process. Listening is a key to all effective communication. Without the ability to listen effectively, messages are easily misunderstood. As a result, communication breaks down and the sender of the message can easily become frustrated or irritated. If there is one communication skill you should aim to master, then listening is it.
Listening is so important that many top employers provide listening skills training for their employees. This is not surprising when you consider that good listening skills can lead to better customer satisfaction, greater productivity with fewer mistakes, increased sharing of information that in turn can lead to more creative and innovative work. Many successful leaders, students, businessmen, Politian and entrepreneurs credit their success to effective listening skills.
Listening skills is one of the major tools to better understanding and connection between ideas and information; change perspective and challenge assumption to be misunderstood to listening skills. In an absent of poor concentration to details is a silent destructor of destiny and career.
Listening is one of the main factors behind the success of a leader. Effective listening is a skill that underpins all positive human relationships. Spend some time thinking about and developing your listening skills they are the building blocks of success.
As corps members, I believe you will accept with me that the secret behind your result or success so far is nothing less than your perfect level of listening skills or paying good attention to details. And that will also determine your success in this service year and in the nearest future. I urge you, wherever you find yourself, take the good attention as your watch word and you will rule the world without war but with reward.
Let must tell you the truth, the value or necessity of listening skills cannot be overemphasize even if I try to, time will not permit me to say it all. The necessities of listening skills are wide-ranging and immensely powerful. Only with effective listening can you understand others; enhance relationships; persuade or sell effectively; lead and inspire a team; or learn from others. Listening is the access to your desired outcomes and its key for your wellbeing too! Therefore to mention but a few
The necessity of listening skills:
Understanding: First of all, is understanding? Listening is the doorway to understanding. I always say conscious listening always creates understanding, and that, I would suggest, is something we really need in the world today. Many people, businesses and relationship have issue because of lack of understanding. It’s important to listen and understand the opposition and be able to tolerate them because you understand where they come from.
Learning: Listening is how we learn. If you don’t listen well, you’re not going to learn much. People who are inveterate uses of the phrase “I know” are less liable to learn things than people who have some humility and are always curious. Try to avoid being an “I know” person. If you know everything, what can you learn? Nothing.
Listening builds trust: When you make the effort to listen to someone, they recognize your interest. They can tell that you’re invested in what they’re saying. This makes them more comfortable sharing with you and being open. If you were only half-listening, and not interested in the other person won’t want to waste their breath. They won’t trust you to respect their thoughts and feelings.
Listening reduces misunderstandings: Misunderstandings are one of the most common effects of poor communication. When people aren’t listening to each other, it’s very easy to mishear something or misinterpret someone’s meaning. Many times, misunderstandings aren’t a big deal, but some can have major consequences. As an example, if someone isn’t listening when their friend explains they have a certain food allergy, serving them a dish with a dangerous ingredient could be life-threatening.
Listening helps eliminate conflict: Poor listening skills are at the root of a lot of conflicts. Besides sometimes causing misunderstandings, not listening well frustrates people engaged in important conversations. People want to feel respected, which is irrevocably tied to feeling heard. You don’t necessarily need to agree, but simply making the effort to hear another perspective keeps the situation calmer. When everyone feels calm and safe, it’s much easier to work through tense situations without things escalating to conflict.
Listening improves romantic relationships: Relationship experts always talk about the importance of listening. Poor communication is behind a lot of the conflict and heartache in romantic relationships. By listening to one another, you create a safe, judgment-free place. This can take a lot of practice as many struggling couples are used to interrupting and talking over each other. A qualified couple’s therapist can recommend listening exercises that make the process more structured.
Listening improves business relationships: Finally, if your career involves interacting with others, you know how vital good communication is. Misunderstandings and conflict can derail projects and earn companies bad reputations. By committing to listening better, you can build strong relationships with coworkers and clients. People will feel respected and eager to work with you.
Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. This passage is trying to draw your attention to the necessity of information and how that information is the key and access point to every realm of human endeavors. What influences you as a human is not necessarily your environment but the kind of information you receive. Most people are typically born with the ability to hear. Still, the ability to listen is an entirely different matter it is a skill that is tough to master and demands time and persistence to mature.
Conclusion:
Admittedly, this discussion of listening may add a layer of intimidation for public speakers. After all, it can be daunting to think of having to get an audience to not only hear, but also truly listen.
Nevertheless, once we recognize the difference and become aware of active listening and its barriers, we can better tailor our spoken words to captivate and engage an audience. A broader awareness of the importance of effective listening is another weapon in your arsenal as a public speaker. At the same time, building up your own effective listening skills can enhance your academic, professional, and personal success. Being heard is one thing, but speakers need listeners to complete the communication loop. Reap the rewards: Instead of saying “I hear you,” try out “I’m listening.”
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