Listening In The Wanderer: The Wanderer

The Wanderer

“In our communication-orientated age, listening is more important than ever. This is why, in most companies, effective listeners hold higher positions and are promoted more often than ineffective listeners” (Lucas 48.) Listening is one, if not the most vital and valuable tool that we can utilize. Being a proficient listener is not only beneficial as a student, but also as an individual in the business place and even in personal relations. In this day in age, the lack of mental presence within the activity that we are physically present for is almost accepted as normal. The fact that the mind wanders is unfortunately proven by data collected in a week long listening study. This listening study took place at a university, with a

As pointed out by Professor Stephen Lucas “The most important cause of poor listening is giving into distractions and letting our thoughts wander” (Lucas 60.) There are a few tips that can help any student, businessperson or friend listen more attentively. The first step to gaining full focus in class is by getting rid of distractions. These days one of the most prominent distractions is that little device that is no further than 3 feet away from you at this and every moment. The cell phone. If you think you can listen to a lecture, text your friend, take notes and play Clash of Clans on your phone at the same time you are horribly mistaken. In the book Brain Rules by John Medina, the author (a noted developmental molecular biologist) points out the fact that it is impossible for our minds to multitask, not difficult, impossible! So at least get rid of the phone when you are trying to actively listen. Another basic yet affective way to assist in actively listening is simply taking notes. By taking notes you’re not only creating a record of the information expressed but you’re are also more likely to absorb the material. With that said, don’t be the student that included every “the” the professor said during his lecture in his notes. Though from one extreme to the next, you also want to refrain from being the student that ends up with only a few irrelevant facts on his notebook paper at the conclusion of the lecture. While taking notes be sure to focus on main points and what the speaker is presenting as a whole. Another vital tip to developing your listening skills is to keep your mind in the moment. One of the biggest distractions that we must overcome is the mind, if you can master the art of focusing your mind on what you are doing or listening to, you can come to be a skilled listener. This sounds like an easy task, but what you don’t realize is how scattered our minds are. Think of when you are