Hearing — one of the five physical senses — involves the perception of sound, pitch and volume. The fine art of listening, however, is quite another matter. The only commonality between hearing and listening is two ears. The purpose of listening is understanding, and active listening requires thoughtful attention to the meaning being conveyed. There are different modes of listening:
United States businesses estimate losses of up to $33.6 billion per year of lost productivity from full-time working caregivers.1 Costs include replacing employees, absenteeism, workday distractions, supervisory time, and reductions in hours from full-time to part-time. Employees find themselves having to move a parent closer to home, traveling long distances to their parents’ homes, taking them to doctor’s appointments, grocery shopping and other errands. This takes its toll on all concerned. [Read more…]
I wonder if you made New Year’s resolutions to diet and exercise? Some aspect of keeping physically fit seems to make our lists each year, even though many of us don’t stick with it. Here’s another area that could benefit from “shaping up” in 2014 and, it would provide life-changing benefits. I call it Communication Fitness and it doesn’t involve treadmills, weights or diets. Consider giving as much attention to the quality of your communication with others as you do to the more physical aspects of your life.