Welcome!

Albert Camus said, “Great ideas come into the world as gently as doves. Perhaps then, if we listen attentively, we shall hear amid the uproar of empires and nations a faint flutter of wings, the gentle stirring of life and hope.”

What would a world populated with truly effective listeners be like? How would it be different? Because effective listeners are adept at taking in the whole message and suspending their judgment while doing so, the speaker gets a full hearing. Imagine a world where every world leader, manager, parent, teacher, and friend has become an effective listener! Conversations would not lead to arguments, discussions would not escalate into altercations, customer service issues would not escalate, brainstorming would be more effective, and innovation would soar.

I believe that the key to becoming an effective listener is to recognize the barriers that stand in the way of our ability to listen fully, and then to use our knowledge of these hindrances to embark on a self-help program that will strengthen our listening skills. In order to develop such awareness, we must first understand both the external and internal barriers that prevent us from listening effectively. Once we become aware of them, we can use them to develop an improvement plan that will benefit our own personal and professional goals.

The Listening Effectiveness Assessment Profile was created so that an individual’s barriers to effective listening could be pinpointed. The forthcoming Listen to Succeed book is designed to help you meet your own personal barriers to effective listening head on and push them aside if you so choose. Rarely will you be able to erase them entirely because your own history has given them a life of their own. However, these self-management tool tips are instantly applicable; and, along with the awareness you now have concerning all the barriers, you should be able to mitigate the effect of any barriers you find in your listening.


Good Listening!

Leslie Shore