Are you listening?

We are living in a world wherein multi-tasking is the norm and by default, everyone is expected to multi-task, every task literally. There is one school of thought that says multi-tasking is not good since as human being, we are designed to do only one thing at a time more effectively and multitask will dilute the effectiveness or the quality of tasks being multi-tasked. To give an example, you cannot be on the phone while driving. You either drive or stop and talk so you do justice to both 100 per cent. If you have to multi-task both, you either risk your life or others life on the road or you don’t pay enough attention to the other person on the phone. Not all activities need to be as risky as this.  However, there would be consequences, which can be less serious or more serious.

In this article, I am going to write about an interesting incident that I’ve come across recently.

It was appraisal time wherein I needed to collect market data and I called up my friend.   Here goes the conversation that we had.

ME: Hi ABC.. How are you?

ABC – I am good. (Click sound from mouse. And some key board sound) how are you (And some key board sound)

ME: Am also good. Its appraisal time. I need to collect some market data. Can you help me out?

ABC: Sure…(Again ..click. and some key board sound)

ME: Do you have any survey reports ?

ABC: No not done yet. We will be doing it…(Again ..few clicks from the mouse )But …(Again ..few clicks from the mouse ) I’ve got couple of free survey reports (typing sound from key board) which I (mouse clicks) can give it to you ( again some mouse clicks)

Me: Ok. Can we catch up next Friday?

ABC:  A pause in the conversation wherein I could hear mouse clicks and typing sound from key board and then he said No. I am held up this Friday.

Me: I thought he did not listen what I said and repeated next Friday.

ABC:  he said OK. (again some mouse clicks)

I hung up the phone.  Had you been in my shoes, what would you have felt at the end of this telephonic conversation?

Though he could be your friend, I am sure you would have felt little dissatisfied about the conversation. May be you would not be sure if your friend has really understood what you discussed and you would have wished he has listened to you keeping the laptop away for a while.

However, the fact is, most of us do this when we are talking to our friends or our colleagues at workplace or while talking to our clients too.  What we don’t realize is the person on other end can hear you working on your system and it can raise doubts as to if we are really listening to them.  So we are risking our credibility, trust and relationship.

If what is being discussed is something very important, it is certainly going to irritate your college or customer.  If it happens for a couple of times, it’s going to be a sure recipe for a disaster in any relationship.

To conclude, you can risk multi-tasking any task but not listening.

Listening cannot be multi-tasked with anything else since what is at stake is your very credibility.  

So next time when we have conversation with anybody, let us keep ourselves away from the laptop or anything that can distract the conversation.

Remember, Small things do matter. Sometimes, it matters the most.

Are you listening?

diD yOU enJOY ReADinG ThIS ArTIcLE? 

                                  If yES, 

yOU maY sHAre it wiTH Your FriENds tOO