Listening Skills

Listening Skills

The art of attentive listening…

 

My boss had just been having a lengthy discussion about football with another member of staff before returning to his desk.

 

Me: “I’m playing at a gig tomorrow.”

 

My boss: “Uh huh.”

 

Me: “Yes, it’s at a tea party for a big birthday. I’m a bit nervous.”

 

My boss: “Hmm.”

 

Me: “It’s going to be a long day because we’ve got orchestra rehearsal in the morning and then the tea party in the afternoon.”

 

My boss: “Forty six.”

 

Me: “Pardon?”

 

My boss: “What?”

 

Me: “Oh, I was just telling you about what I was doing tomorrow and you said forty six.”

 

My boss: “I’m reading this very long complicated email and I can’t do that and listen to you at the same time.”

 

Me: “Sorry, I didn’t realise you were reading an email.”

 

My boss: “mmm thirty seven, oh, oh right, thirty seven, yes.”

 

Me: “Are you doing anything interesting at the weekend?”

 

My boss: “Well, I’m going shopping in the morning. I need to get some more shower cleaner. If it’s not raining I want to get the grass cut and stain the bench and put it away for the winter. It’s very faded now. I’ll need to rub it down first. That reminds me, I need to get more sandpaper…” <10 minutes of talking later> “… and I want to tidy the shelving unit in the garage. What about you? Doing anything interesting?”

 

Me: “Well I’m playing violin in an ensemble at a tea party tomorrow.”

 

My boss: “Hmm. Really? Oh yes. Yes yes yes yes yes thirty seven that’s right.”

 

Perhaps I need to work on the art of being slightly interesting.