04/19/2026
Listening ... a lost art these days, especially where so much of our communication is by text and e-mail. It remains, however, a critical part of our everyday lives and a skill which, when used, pays dividends.
For example, the Yankees' players asked that the starting time for day games be changed from 1:05pm to 1:35pm - seeking an extra half-hour of rest after night games, additional time for preparation, etc. The team listened and approved the new time - not a change of seismic proportions on its face, but one which reveals the critical importance of listening and collaboration.
Listening, and collaboration, is what makes an employer more employee-friendly and/or consumer friendly. It allows people to be better parents, spouses, friends, and co-workers.
In our office, we listen, because it elevates our game and allows us to better represent our clients - whether listening to clients as they explain their desired outcomes, to judges as to how a case or certain issue should be framed when appearing before them, or to adversaries as to how cases can be settled and/or how to identify difficulties which must be overcome.
It's our ability to listen which sets us apart from so many others - as we have been been told by clients over the past three decades.
(photo of the boss with his father at Yankee Stadium, Sept. 22, 2013)
