The Science and Art of Listening

Whether in marriage, friendship, teams, or working groups, we often find ourselves frustrated because we don’t believe we’re being heard.

When we think about communication, we mostly think about the talking, maybe even our nonverbal communication. We too quickly assume that everything else is just a passive process.

But listening is as much of a dynamic process of communication as verbal communication is, and we spend so much of our day engaging in this behavior. Whether it’s to music, to media messages, to our personal network, to our supervisors, customers, patients, or colleagues, the collection of minutes we spend listening far outweighs our common assumptions. And it is just as important that we hone this skill as any other.

Did you know there are 4 different types of listeners? Our priorities in conversation are based around these. Identifying the type of listener you are can be a meaningful start to unpacking miscommunication or frustration with your conversation partners. It can also help point to areas of growth or particular roles where we can thrive. And this self-information and introspection can even support our path toward discerning vocational calling.