In my roles as college course instructor and Inspiring Innovations consultant, there really seems to be no limit or common theme regarding topics or questions on special issues that are raised.  One recent particular area of interest and discussion however is the short and long-term impacts from the COVID years and advancement of virtual/remote learning and its life-style acceptance.  Almost in every instance… both issue areas seem to be uniquely linked and unfortunately the result of most discussions are negative.

So for this TRIPLE III TIME message, I will provide what I feel is the most negative outcome stemming from COVID impacts…blended with virtual/remote learning and usage: Dealing With Diminished Listening.

I believe our greatest personal and professional loss related to these two situations… is Dealing With Diminished Listening in all sectors of our lives.  

Think about it.

Consider first todays altered “locations” for professional learning and listening.  Maybe it is just sitting alone in a room and staring at a screen.  Interpersonal listening is totally minimalized.  Quality listening is questionable.

Next think about large or small interruptions… that others may not see during virtual learning experiences.  If someone in a learning situation is facing off screen interruptions… how can they offer their full listening attention?  

Also when Dealing With Diminished Listening situations are participating individuals becoming less engaged in professional discussion?  Some people get into a poor mindset and wait for someone else to ask a certain question… or hesitate to participate “just because”?!  So are they engaged?

Finally consider the negative level of Dealing With Diminished Listening when others enrolled in a class or involved in a business meeting are represented by a black box with their name on a screen!  Complete listening is demonstrated by facial expressions, quizative looks and smiles too… right?    

Unfortunately “listening” in this (I’m just dialed-in) fashion can contribute to a sense of disinterest and even disrespect to others involved in the session.  Likewise in a distance learning situation there is often a loss of interaction spontaneity and hesitation to participate that somehow is just an unnatural human reaction to the growing listening gaps.

Bottomline: I guess what I am trying to say with my Dealing With Diminished Listening message title and brief examples is that peoples ability and willingness to provide quality listening in many situations has gone significantly down.  And yes we can blame it on COVID and the evolution of technology.  BUT… rebuilding LISTENING is totally up to all of us!