It wasn’t that long ago that we were all making our New Years’ resolutions.
In Korean, there’s an old saying that goes, “well begun is half done.” I know I heard a few people saying that five months ago and with June upon us I thought I would send you all a note and turn that phrase on its ear: “half done is also well begun!”

We’re all surrounded by minutiae that keep us tied up every day. We’re absorbed by it. So much so, that we often think we can’t afford to pay attention to the other things around us, regardless of how important they might be. It is precisely these moments when we should pause to reflect and take stock of what we’re doing and where we’re going. Otherwise, how can we put our best foot forward in the second half?

Let’s get back to basics. At the end of the day, we are communicators. We are highly creative at what we do, and it is our ideas that connect our clients with their customers. We should never lose sight of that.

At essence, communication is about four basic things: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. On average, it takes us about 6 to 8 years to learn how to read with any real proficiency and about 12 to learn how to write. Learning to speak is relatively fast, taking just 1 or 2 years’ worth of education from our parents.

But listening is another story, and that’s what I want you to think about.

All of us are able to listen before we’re even born. The first thing we can hear is our mother’s heart beating while we’re growing inside her womb. In our lives, research shows that we spend more time on listening than any of the other 3 abilities. But do we spend that time wisely?

Think about the meaningful distinction between listening and hearing because they are not the same. By nature, hearing is a passive act while, by contrast, listening requires much more mental activity and learning. It calls for concentration and mental processing. We have to listen to the words and phrases if we want to glean their meaning. Listening requires a sophisticated intellectual ability, enabling us to impose our insights and knowledge on what we hear to compose in our minds the unspoken or hidden meaning of what is being said.

The Korean word that relates most closely to what I’m trying to say is “Gyungchung.” In korean, it means“giving ear to somebody.” Simply put, it means “listen carefully.”

“Listen carefully” is about using our ears, brain, and even our hearts to listen to what other people are telling us. It’s a state of mind that cannot be reached without effort and sincerity. Listening seems easy but there is nothing easy about it. The reality is that we have to work hard at it. But isn’t that what life is all about?

Listening to our clients is something that we preach but don’t always practice and I want to encourage each and every one of us to take this message to heart and do it to the fullest extent. And not just with our clients or vendors. Inside our own offices, in our divisions and teams, we should be listening to our colleagues so that we not only hear what they have to say but we also make a true effort to understand them and collaborate more closely. 

Showing the other person that you are truly listening shows him or her that you value what they have to say. This is a matter of deep understanding and respect for others. Listening well, and creating the kind of open atmosphere that encourages people to speak up is what generates creative energy. It’s also how we’ll overcome our greatest challenges.

With my ears wide open,
Nack-hoi Kim