Many people try to do too many things at one time and then become impatient and try to shorten the listening process. It’s like trying to throw change into a tollbooth basket and get out of
there too quickly. It doesn’t work. The bell goes off and you’ve made a mistake and gained nothing in the process.
The same thing goes with listening. The myth of multitasking has been proven in studies from Stanford University to the University of Virginia. The human mind simply cannot do it. According to psychiatrist Richard Hallowell, “Multitasking is a “MYTHICAL ACTIVITY in which people believe they can perform two or more tasks simultaneously.” Molecular Biologist John Medina proclaims, “We are biologically incapable of processing attention-rich inputs simultaneously.”
Following are 5 tips to stay with the message and not ‘short change’ others:
- Recognize that there is a value moment in each communication.
- Don’t judge the way the message is being sent to you. Focus on the content first.
- Fully understand what the other person is saying. And if you don’t, don’t move on until you do.
- Discipline your mind when you listen. Don’t react….RESPOND.
- Care to be in the moment. Others can tell when you don’t care by the ‘signals and vibrations’ that you are sending.
The bottom line is that you can’t multitask listening. When you try, you will most likely create a cost. LISTENING PAYS!