are you listening ?

The 5 months internship is one the memorable one. It is the breathing rose with sweets in every fold. I admire how these ppl being such responsible engineers and technologist. and I would like to thank them for every guidance. It needs no words. I truly appreciate it. Ppl are attracted by virtue of similarity, the other by difference. I think I am the latter one. Because they'd been someone's special.

Back to the topic. I would actually like to share on the art of listening.

We have two ears and only one mouth. Just based on our body parts,, we'd think we are all be natural listeners. But we're really not. I am reminded that I am a really bad listener and I'd only come across the bad habit of mine! We are born with the ability to hear, but we have to develop the ability to LISTEN. Well the normal listening mode for most ppl is passive. Words come in one ear, and go out the other. Important information is missed. Details are overlooked. Reasoning is misunderstood. Ppl feel disrespected. and things turn worse when throughout these years, I'd actually build up the ability to filter out the thoughts and completely sinking in.

Listening well is much harder than I think. I know it leads devastating consequences and I am working out to have the right frame of mind to always get prepared to be a active listener. The first thing is stop multitasking, perhaps? If i am checking my email while talking on the phone, I am not listening to that person anyway. and stop interrupting the conversation! I really wanna say a big thank you to them who had pinpointed my bad habits before I leave Intel :D

I'd always jumped the gun by rushing to judgement before ppl have even finished talking. and I tend to interrupt to say I am disagree. In fact, I shouldn't even be thinking about what I am going to say next. Just listen. Even after they're done, I might want to pause to think before responding.

After all, the amount of talking is a function of our conversation style. Some ppl wont have trouble holding back comments and can easily listen in a conversation. If you're like me, you're instinct is to treat conversations like a battleground, loading ammunition and firing ideas to match the wits of whoever you're competing against. and that's bad :(

ps. thanks to Kee and laogao for reminding me :)