Mind is like parachute–it works only when it is open. Some of the best business ideas come from listening to others.
Kautilya emphasis on this point for various leaders, “He should despise none, (but) should listen to the opinion of every one. A wise man should make use of the sensible words of even a child” (1.15.22)
A father was once watching his daughter playing. She went to her mother and asked, “Mummy when will I get my new doll?” She answered, “It will take a few days as we will have to go to the shop which requires at least two hours of traveling”.
Her father, who was thinking of a new business venture, understood the lack of a toy shop in the place they were staying. After doing a little bit of market research, he understood that, like them, all the parents residing in the area had to travel a long way to buy a toy for their children. He started a local toy shop and turned out to be a successful businessman.
One never knows where the next biggest idea would come from. The art of effective listening is very important in business. Even the most unexpected person could give you the key information and direction that one must have been waiting for years.
The following are some keys of effective listening.
Cutting off a person while he is talking is not just an insult to him, but will also end the possibilities of understanding the central message he is trying to convey.
Dr Radhakrishnan Pillai is an Indian management thinker, author, and Founder of Atma Darshan and Chanakya Aanvikshiki. Dr Pillai has extensively researched Kautilya’s Arthashastra, the 3rd century BC treatise and incorporated it into modern management.
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