by Michelle Cummings

Communication is more than talking. It’s a two-way process that requires both clarity from the sender and presence from the receiver. But too often, we focus on crafting the perfect message and forget that communication only succeeds if someone truly hears it. That’s where active listening makes all the difference.

The classic sender-receiver model reminds us that every message travels through a channel – and every channel has noise. In modern workplaces, that noise is everywhere: notifications, emails, multitasking, and mental distractions. As a result, messages often get distorted or lost before they land. Active listening is the skill that cuts through that noise.