Being a Good Listener is a Soft Skill

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“Be a good listener,” Dale Carnegie advised in his 1936 classic How to Win Friends and Influence People. “Ask questions the other person will enjoy answering.”

Rather than pushing your point of view when it is very different, the other person uses a curious approach to communication. An example would be meeting the other end of view with a question like: “I never thought of that point of view. What is it that leads you to that conclusion.”

Six things needed to be a good listener

  • #1 Your thoughts have not drifted, and you are in the here & now.

  • #2 Distractions don't get in the way of what the person is saying

  • #3 You're excited and curious to hear what is said

  • #4 You're sincere and open-minded about the questions and haven’t prejudged the anticipated answers

  • #5 Your hearing, sight, and other senses are working

  • #6 You ask the right questions.

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“Hearing Aids Matter”

Which is more important Soft or Hard Skills?

In the customer age, soft skills have become more critical than ever. Problem-solving, delegating, motivating, and team building are much easier if you have good soft skills. Knowing how to get along with people and having a positive attitude is crucial for success.

Soft skills will make your hard skills more valuable. Hard skills are teachable and often technical, such as economic analysis, strategic planning, or design. Soft skills fall in the interpersonal realm and include listening, team-building, and leadership development. They are taught less than cultivated. More about soft skills at Connected Events Matter Career Development Section under Soft Skills.

There is an ongoing debate about the importance of soft and hard skills, both necessary and complementary.

Even so, some things bug us, and it is unclear whether it is a soft skill that will solve it or maybe just a hammer.




Some Technology might be consider so basic that their use might be thought of as a Soft Skill

Soft skills are interpersonal or people skills that can be used in any job. These skills relate to how you work and interact with others, including communication, teamwork, and adaptability. IT soft skills may include interpersonal, problem-solving, organization, and teamwork skills.

Most of the technology we encounter at work is essential. The more accessible technology is and the more a person is expected to be able to use the technology, the more it might be labeled a soft skill. For example, using Social Media, office email, and even a virtual software platform is considered technology and soft skills.

Learning the basics in these cases is often considered necessary for anyone working at a particular business. These activities sometimes require a little extra work to learn, but you don’t want to be the only one in the room who doesn’t know how to use the technology because if you don’t have the skill, you immediately stand out as expendable. The least qualified person is not who you want to be.

Taking the time to learn puts you in a much stronger position. You may be able to help others, and then you become one of the most needed people in the room. You may stand out as someone who did a little extra preparation.


Soft Skills are the traits, characteristics, habits, and skills needed to survive and thrive in the modern work world.