During
the making of the epic, Ten Commandments, DeMille devoted
a great deal of attention to the scene where Moses parts the Red
Sea. The scene involved complicated camerawork and the pouring of
thousands of gallons of water. Rehearsal for the scene took much
time and patience. Finally all was ready and DeMille called, "action."
Everything worked flawlessly and as the scene ended, the cameraman
shouted, "Ready when you are, Mr. DeMille."
True
or not, the story illustrates the power of listening. And the consequences
of not doing it.
Most
of us are not responsible for multi-million dollar epics, but we
are responsible for the "epic dramas" of our lives.
Recently
during the course of my work I was interviewing people at a manufacturing
facility that had suffered from poor labor relations. A new manager
was installed and everything changed; productivity and profitability
increased, along with declines in absenteeism and turnover. I asked
a union man what the manager did to turn things around and he thought
for a moment and said, "He listened."
How
true. The roots of effective leadership lie in simple things, one
of which is listening. Listening to someone demonstrates respect;
it shows that you value their ideas and are willing to hear them.
Some
of the most successful entrepreneurs have been good listeners. Sam
Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, attributed his best ideas from listening
to what his clerks and stock people had to say. Ray Kroc of McDonald’s
fame actively encouraged his franchisees to come up with new ideas
for new products… some of which later became "Big Mac"
and "Egg McMuffin."
Listening
is not something confined to business. Teachers tell us over and
over again that their teaching methods evolve because of the input
from their students. Good teachers listen to what their students
have to say and adjust their teaching methods to make the subject
matter more vibrant and alive… and ultimately better understood.
Good
listening is the secret of good relationships. A chief reason many
relationships between men and women fall apart is because one or
both of them fail to listen to the other. There’s a joke floating
on the Internet that pokes fun at what women say and what men hear.
The punch line being the woman speaks clearly about love, caring,
and relationship, but the man hears sex, beer, and sports.
In
truth, men and women who live together expect one the other to say
the same thing so they tune each other out. And when you’re
no longer listening, you destroy a basis for communications. When
that foundation is eroded, it takes much to rebuild.
Sometimes
we fail to listen to ourselves. I say this with the full realization
that when I was growing up the good sisters who taught me used to
say that anyone who talked to himself was crazy. Imagine what they
would think if we listened to that voice.
But
it’s absolutely necessary. Listening to the inner voice is
a key to reflection. And it is through reflection that we gain insight
into ourselves and perspective on the world.
Listening
is fundamental to our existence as human beings. Failure to listen
can be disastrous.
