Listen Up! Listen Up! J. Jason Browne. Cima Vista Productions, LLC Phoenix, AZ. Page 1

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1 Listen Up! J. Jason Browne Cima Vista Productions, LLC Phoenix, AZ Page 1

2 2013, J. Jason Browne. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be used or reproduced in any manner, including storage in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, address Cima Vista Productions, LLC, P.O. Box 10421, Phoenix, AZ 85064, or via at cimavista@yahoo.com. ISBN Library of Congress Control No Publisher s Cataloguing in Publication Data Browne, J. Jason (1955- ) Listen up / J. Jason Browne. Phoenix, AZ: Cima Vista Productions, LLC, c2013 0, [32]p.: 12 cm. : incl. bibliographic reference. A treatise of quotes, anecdotes and basic educational material on enhancing one s listening skills and the importance of listening in enhancing one s communications. ISBN $7.95 (booklet) 1. Listening. 2. Effective Communications. 3. Title. BF309.B76x ddc23 Page 2

3 The value and importance of effective listening can never be emphasized enough. It s an ongoing commitment for enhancing all communication, whether in good times or bad times. 75% of communication is through listening. Carl Rogers stated that, Man s inability to communicate is a result of his failure to listen effectively, skillfully and with understanding to another person. This booklet is a reminder of the importance of listening. It is a treatise of quotes, anecdotes and basic educational material on enhancing one s listening skills, and thus enhancing one s communications. Page 3

4 Dedicated to all people with an active interest in enhancing their listening and communication skills in all aspects of their lives. The first duty of love is to listen. -- Paul Tillich ( ), German-born American Theologian and Philosopher Page 4

5 I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant. -- Robert McCloskey ( ), American children s book author, including Make Way for Ducklings Page 5

6 There is an account of an incident involving J. Edgar Hoover, the long-time FBI Director, who was noted for his hardline, near-dictatorial management style. He was also a stickler for good English composition. One time he received a report that was poorly typed up; run-on sentences, nounverb disagreements, etc. He particularly didn t like the overall appearance and lack of margins. So, he scrawled on the paper, WATCH THE BORDERS! And for the next several weeks a large number of extra agents were assigned to the Canadian and Mexican borders! No one knew why, and no one dared to ask! Page 6

7 Poor listening is one of the most significant problems facing business today. Business relies on clear communication. When communication breaks down, costly mistakes are made. -- Paul Leet, Sperry Corporation (now Unisys Corporation) Page 7

8 Notes Doodles Page 8

9 On a much more somber note, the following significant events in humankind s history demonstrates the power and tragedy of understanding the meaning of just one single word: July The Emperor of Japan was ready to accept the Allies Potsdam ultimatum: give up or be crushed. His Cabinet was nearly prepared, but needed a little more time to discuss the terms. A message was sent over the foreign wires announcing that they, the Japanese, were following a policy of mokusatsu, meaning withholding comment. In translation, the message read, The Cabinet ignores the demand to surrender. Ignores was a second meaning of mokusatsu. To compound the situation, the Japanese felt to recall the message would be a loss of face, so the error went uncorrected. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki resulted, causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people. The Korean War conflict was an extended aftermath, costing tens of thousands of more American and Japanese sons. An uneasiness between our two countries lasted for years. All because of one misinterpreted word. Page 9

10 Notes Doodles Page 10