We all do it. It’s as common as flies around a horse. While someone else is talking, we’re thinking about what we’re going to say next instead of about what is being said to us. We know others are worth more care and attention. But the habit is hard to break.- THE NIV QUIET TIME BIBLE (1525)
Something to share ….
Undoubtedly, a good leader talks with a voice of authority and shouts with a voice of command. It’s nothing unusual that a leader is a good talker and has the habit of keep talking all the time. He expects his team members to be followers and listen to his talking most of the time. However, at time a leader must himself be humble to stop talking but listening to his team members.
I must admit that I had not been a good listener all these years. At times I would like to cut in when the other person was still talking to me. I gave my excuse that at my current age I had a tendency to forget if I did not speak out immediately especially when I needed to respond to him. Nevertheless, I did excuse myself for stopping him from talking and allowing me to cut in. With that understanding, there was little hard feeling from the person I spoke to.
Somehow the successful leaders are good listeners, as they have discovered the value of listening. It is essential and necessary for anyone who wishes to communicate well with others. Dale Carnegie put it rightly,” The secret of influencing people lies not so much in being a good talker as in being a good listener.”
Unless we are willing to break the hard habit of keep on talking and learn to listen to others, we are not able to get good feed back and reliable information from our subordinates, colleagues and coworkers. “Why should I tell him if he’s not listening to me?” That’s normal human attitude.
Always remember: BEFORE YOU SPEAK …. LISTEN.
In James 1:19, God reminds us,” Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak…”
Become a better listener and doer of his Word.
3 comments:
According to me, listening to other people is very difficult. It takes long time to practice, patience and the willingness to listen to other people and at last we can do it.
The chinese character for listening ("Tink" ) is a combination of a few words - ear,eye & heart but no mouth. That's why when you listen,you not only use your ear but also your eyes & heart. When you're listening,you're supposed to let the person does the talking & not you !!
Thanks for sharing James 1:19.
I agree with ur friend "lo si pai" and ur message on listening. We listen not only with our ears wide open, but also our eyes and hearts. I may add, our minds must be there also. As a former teacher, I know some students may be physically in the class with their eyes wide open but their minds are miles away thinking of something else. Then there some people who are the "kiasu" type. They like to talk all the time and do not like to listen to other people's opinion. They cut in all the time bc they think they'll be losing if they listen too long. In fact, they are the losers for not listening. A good listener learns a lot. He learns from other people's good and bad points. He can pick up the good points to improve himself and not make the same mistakes of empty vessels who make the most noise. It's better to listen more than to talk more. Listening is input and talking is ouput. The more inputs into the computer, the better it can perform. People who don't listen but like to talk a lot are usually empty vessels who make a lot of noise, talking nonsense. One must first listen and read a lot b4 one can give a good speech. Great speech makers like Abraham Lincoln and Wiston Churchill listened and read a lot. They penned great speeches and books. In order to be a good singer, one must first listen to songs sung by others.
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