Listening

Listening is a big part of your job. In most conversations, you create more value by listening than by speaking. You must convey information and inspire, but you must also listen.
    Here’s an interesting experiment: record a conversation of ten or fifteen minutes with someone, using one of those microrecorders. Ask the person’s permission first before you record. Normally, this works better if you don’t choose someone from work for the experiment. At the end of the recording, write down what percentage of the time you think you were speaking versus the other person, how many times you cut them off in mid-sentence, and how many times they cut you off. At your convenience, listen to the tape twice.
    The first time, use a stop watch to record the fraction of the time you spoke. The easiest way to do this is to measure the total conversation length with your wristwatch, and use the stopwatch to record your speaking time. Wait for the other person to start speaking before you mark the end of your speaking time, so the entire conversation is spit into your speaking time and their speaking time.
    The second time, count the number of times each of you interrupts the other.
    If you are a man and want a humbling result, record a conversation with a woman.