Kolz Blog

Having dealt with a couple of situations at the office in the last day or two, and having had to address an issue with one of my own children at school, I have had the difference between hearing and listening fresh on my mind. Unfortunately, it is becoming more difficult to communicate today. Part of the reason is that we are being pulled in so many directions that we do not take time to listen. Some of us also spend a significant part of out time formulating our answer or rebuttal instead of processing the information we are being given. The difference between hearing and listening is very important. For example, if my wife is talking to me and I am more interested in the football game on the television, I will not register what she says. I will hear her. I may even nod in agreement. But comprehending what she is telling me will be quite difficult. However, if I listen to what my wife has to say, I can comprehend what she says, mentally process what it means to me, and respond appropriately. In a way, processing information while listening is much like managing inputs through GTD workflow. If we are listening correctly, do we not ask the appropriate questions? What is it? Is it actionable? If it is…what is the next action (what am I being asked to do)? Then we make a decision as to what we need to do with that information. That may be making a note and dropping into our physical inbox (defer it). It may meet the two minute rule, and you take action on it immediately (do it). The information may be for someone else to manage (delegate it), and you communicate the needed information to the responsible individual. David Allen often refers to GTD as “advanced common sense”. If you think about it, David is on to something. When, as Stephen Covey calls it, “emphatically listening” our minds seem to naturally go through a GTD type process as we process verbal communication…or at least my mind does. Feel free to voice your thoughts on this in the comments.