Welcome to this week's episode of the Modern Mentor Podcast, formerly known as the Get It Done Guy.

I'm Rachel Cook, your modern mentor host. Today I'll be sharing some wisdom on how being a great listener can make you

smarter, faster, and better at work. From crawling to walking to uttering that first word,

we develop our earliest skills by instinct. No one tells a baby to do these things. Babies just do.

But then babies morph into toddlers,

and the walking and eating become less impressive. And suddenly, we adults are all about telling them what to do. And what are toddlers told to do more than anything? Listen. Listen to me. Be a good listener. Why aren't you listening? After enduring all that

nagging in your youth, it should come as no surprise to you that sometimes your rebellious inner

toddler just doesn't want to listen. But listening, and I don't mean passively perceiving words and sounds, but truly engaged listening,

is one of the most powerful tools in your success toolbox.

Listening when done with purpose makes you smarter, faster, and better.

Smarter because you perceive more detail, more clarity, greater alignment on what needs to be

achieved and addressed. Faster, because with greater clarity up front, you have less need to double back,

and because listening builds empathy and rapport, so you'll have a more open door to pose questions.

Better, because having clarity positions you to deliver

exactly what was asked for. Listening can serve you well in many different ways, in building

relationships, learning new skills, finding your next opportunity, and more. But for today's

episode, I'm going to focus on the power of listening in service of delivering a work product or outcome that will win you accolades every time.

So how can you demonstrate that brand of listening?

Here are some can't miss techniques.

First, begin with intention.

Great listening is not passive. Engaged listening requires your

attention, focus, and conscious energy. Establish a goal ahead of an important conversation,

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