“What did you say?” “Could you repeat that; I wasn't listening?” “Sorry for the interruption; could you run that by me again?” Most people have probably found themselves repeating these words all too frequently. Effective listening is an under-emphasized and under-utilized business skill. The bad news is most of us have deficient listening skills. The good news is that listening effectively is a skill, and therefore can be taught and learned. (Boyle, 1999) “A wise man …showed first 75 words of 927 total…

…showed last 75 words of 927 total…which makes our section successful. They use less sick leave, are more productive, and I like to think they enjoy their jobs more. I have found that effective listening is not something that you just do, but something that you must tend to. You have to be conscience of it, and to always be practicing. There is always room for improvement. But as long as there is a genuine attempt, the results will be gratifying.