We as humans communicate in some form practically every moment or of our waking hours and we do this all our life. Therefore it is safe to say that communications is not only important but necessary to our existence. This fact not only applies to the more mundane activities of our existence but to the business arena. Without a doubt communication is the hallmark of the effective manager. “Research spanning several decades has consistently ranked communication skills as crucial for managers. Typically, managers spend 75 to 80 percent of their time engaged in some form of written or oral communication.” (Blaylock, Marty) There are several parts to the communications process. To paraphrase the basic model a message is encoded by the sender, and then transmitted to a receiver who then decodes the message. After decoding the receiver provides feedback. This process is known a two communications. For the manager two important skills to ensure effective two way communication are listening and asking questions. Listening is how we receive the message during oral communication. If we do not listen well we risk missing the correct message. “When we listen it is important to listen well. Listening is not a passive activity.” (Thorogood Publishing Ltd., 1999) The mark of a good manager is one who sincerely shows interest in what others are telling him. “In the orai/interpersonal area, business professionals rated the listening competency higher than business faculty rated them” (Waner, Karen K.) In that survey of Business professionals rated listening first while business faculty rated listening as second.

Listening is important because it ensures the correct receipt of the message, but there other reasons for good listening. Good listening boosts confidence of the subordinates, peers, and supervisors of the manager. When employees feel that they’re being listened to,