Listening properly is one of the most important management principles, both in personal and professional relationships. Few simple considerations in face-to-face dealings will prevent many of your complicated problems, and assure your success in forming friendly relations with others.

This seminar shows how you may listen better and facilitate others to do the same and express themselves with improved ease and clarity. Most people seem to listen with patience and concern; however, often they are busy formulating their own responses and impatiently waiting to express them. Listening seldom takes place with the deliberate intent for a purposeful communication and deep comprehension. We often put up barriers in the form of filters and judge the speaker, or his ideas according to our own standards and beliefs. We often hear people say, "I understand exactly what you are saying" but seldom hear them say, "I would like to understand you, would you please elaborate a little more on such and such?" We simply do not know how to truly listen and discover the real purpose or the underling objectives. In conflicts, often and quickly, we reach the conclusion that the other party is the one who is unwilling to understand us. We must first try to fully and completely understand others, and only then, expect to be understood by them.

This seminar will help you recognize and prevent mistakes arising from your less than adequate listening. We can easily identify the speaker's main point of view only when we are listening intently and are fully aware of our own feelings. By doing so, you will be able to arrive at the main ideas regardless of the clarity by which delivery is taking place. We should always focus on the main points, and be less concerned with how the ideas are being presented or who the presenter is.