It’s time to tune in: why listening is the real key to communication

Whether at work or at home, success depends on how good a listener you are

When people find out I'm a journalist, they typically tell me they used to write for their school newspaper or that their child wants to be a journalist, or that their cousin is a blogger. Or they might say they loved a film about a newsroom, but can't remember the name. They might try to look up the film on their phones and, while they are at it, will show me a cat video trending on Twitter.

It's rare that people don't interrupt and shift conversation to themselves. Bad listeners are not necessarily bad or boorish people. You're likely to have a dear friend, family member, or maybe a romantic partner who is a bad listener. Perhaps you, yourself, are not the best listener. And you could be forgiven. In many ways, we have been conditioned not to listen.