Have we lost the ability to listen?

Listening. Among the abilities we possess, it's the least utilized power. Everyone seems to be competing to see who can speak the loudest. Very few people truly listen carefully to what others have to say. It's the same in advertising and in the real world. In boardrooms, the latest business buzzwords fly around. Comment sections on documents overflow with self-righteous criticism. Everyone wants to say something. But I wonder if they're speaking after truly listening to what others have said.

I'm usually the quietest person during the first half of meetings. Because I stay silent, some even look at me with doubt, wondering if I can really handle the job. This silence actually has meaning. If I don't listen carefully to what the other person is saying, how can I possibly be of use to them? Useful to clients, consumers, and my teammates. Only after truly listening do I feel prepared to speak, based on my own knowledge and understanding.

If you want to do excellent work as a creative person, putting yourself in the other person's shoes is paramount. Yet, much of the advertising I see daily doesn't seem to try to empathize or understand its audience. It's advertising that merely rides trends. Advertising drunk on cool-looking techniques.

This absence of mutual communication applies to clients too. We want to compete for the job when we feel the assigned agency isn't listening. "They're too preoccupied with securing their own profits and aren't prioritizing ours." Meanwhile, the agency's take is, "That client doesn't understand what's important to us at all."

Admittedly, if the assigned person isn't the right fit, they might genuinely not grasp what matters. But if that's the case, it's our responsibility as the ad agency to show that person what kind of communication resonates with consumers. If the message reaches consumers, it ultimately benefits the client.

Listen carefully to what the other person says, and respond based on what you've heard. This cycle is the foundation for sustaining work and winning new business. That's the conclusion I've reached from 20 years of hands-on experience across four countries.

Whether it's a client or a consumer, start by truly listening to what they have to say. Doing so will undoubtedly increase the chances that they will listen to what you have to say.

(Supervised by: Dentsu Inc. Global Business Center
　Illustration: Dan Kiko)