We live in an era of speed.
If you think too slowly, you lose.
If you read too long, you keep scrolling.
If you ask too many questions, you appear insecure.
And so something imperceptible happens:
Listening becomes the exception. Patience becomes a burden. Communication becomes a one-way street.
I observe this every day – in interim management, in marketing, in customer meetings.
Time frames are getting tighter, expectations are rising and response times are shrinking to seconds. Tools like ChatGPT provide instant answers – and train us to ask questions faster and faster, but not to think about them.
The thread of patience has snapped.
Not only with others – but also with ourselves.
- When was the last time you really listened – without already mentally tinkering with the answer?
- When have you allowed yourself not to answer a question immediately, but to let it mature?
- When was communication the goal – and not just the means to an end?
This may sound nostalgic, but I am convinced:
In tomorrow’s communication, we need more of what we are currently unlearning. Listening is an underestimated productivity factor.
In projects, in management, in marketing.
Because those who listen recognize not just symptoms – but causes.
Those who listen avoid loops, misunderstandings and backtracking.
And those who listen show respect – in a world where attention has become the scarcest resource.
According to a recent survey by McKinsey, 70% of employees surveyed in management relationships complain about a lack of quality conversations – not because of a lack of time, but because of a lack of presence.
I was recently in conversation with Tiziana Bruno – an expert in change, personality and silent presence.
She reminded me how powerful listening really is.
Her Quiet Lady tip to go has been with me ever since:
“Listening is not a pause in the conversation – it is the conversation.
If you listen with real presence, you not only change the moment,
but often the whole dynamic.
Dare to be quiet. That’s where the impact begins.”
What does this mean for marketing and communication?
Out of broadcast mode. Into real resonance.
In a world where everyone is shouting, it’s not the loudest who wins – it’s the one who touches. The ability to listen before you speak. To think slowly before acting quickly. To understand the context before making an offer.
What we need are not new buzzwords.
We need a new attitude.
Communication that is mindful instead of fired, relationship-oriented instead of merely functional, human instead of mechanical.
My appeal:
Let’s set new standards.
Not just for performance, but for presence.
Not just for speed, but for depth.
Because speed is not an enemy.
But without patience and listening, it is blind.
About the author
Ich bin Corina Hoch, Expertin für New Work, Remote Work und digitale Sichtbarkeit. Seit über zehn Jahren arbeite ich ortsunabhängig aus Mexiko und unterstützt Unternehmen dabei, online erfolgreich zu sein. Mit meiner Erfahrung in Marketing, SEO und Content-Strategie helfe ich Unternehmen, sich nachhaltig zu positionieren und Reichweite aufzubauen.
Neben ihrer Tätigkeit als Beraterin setze ich mich dafür ein, Frauen zu ermutigen, ihre beruflichen Träume zu verwirklichen und mutig neue Wege zu gehen. In meinen Artikeln teile ich praxisnahe Einblicke, wertvolle Tipps und inspirierende Geschichten rund um New Work und Female Empowerment.
Mehr über sie auf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corina-hoch/
