The Most Underrated Skill of 2025: Are You Actually Listening?
The Most Underrated Skill of 2025: Listening (And How It Can Transform Your Business)
In today’s fast-paced digital world, listening has become one of the most underrated yet essential skills for businesses. Whether it’s tuning into your clients, your audience, or your team, truly hearing what’s being said (and what’s not) can set you apart in ways you never imagined.
I’ll admit it: I’ve learned this lesson the hard way. Recently, someone had been telling me the same thing for months, but I was moving so fast I never really heard them. When it finally clicked, I realized I’d missed something important simply because I wasn’t slowing down to listen. I apologized because they deserved better, and it made me reflect deeply on how we approach listening—not just in real life, but in social media too.
Here’s the thing: social listening isn’t just about monitoring mentions or tracking hashtags. It’s about intentionally paying attention to what’s happening online, understanding the climate, the culture, and the conversations shaping your audience’s world. Just like real-life listening, it takes practice, focus, and a desire to truly understand.
Why Listening is a Skill You Need to Master
Listening isn’t passive. It’s an active skill that requires focus and discernment. You’ve probably doom scrolled before, right? Hours on your feed and nothing to show for it. That’s the opposite of intentional listening. When you shift your mindset and listen with purpose, you’ll discover valuable insights, like:
Where your audience hangs out: Which platforms are they active on?
What they care about: What topics, trends, or causes resonate with them?
How they engage: Are they sharing, commenting, or just watching quietly?
It’s not just about hearing the loudest voices; it’s about understanding the heart of your audience. And when you master this, your social strategy becomes more impactful and aligned.
How I’m Learning to Listen Better
Improving your listening skills, whether in-person or online, takes time and intentionality.
Here’s how I’m working on it:
1. Focusing on What’s in Front of Me
Instead of trying to multitask or juggle too much, I’m learning to give my full attention to one thing at a time. Whether it’s a conversation with my team or analyzing social media comments, being present helps me absorb what’s really being said.
2. Reading Fiction to Practice Discernment
This might sound strange, but reading fiction has been a game-changer. Fiction trains you to pick up on emotions, subtext, and context—all essential parts of listening. It’s like practicing with imaginary people so I can be better with real ones (and yes, it works!).
3. Asking Better Questions
When I’m talking to peers or clients, I’m focusing on curiosity. Instead of following up with my own stories, I’m asking thoughtful questions to go deeper into what they’re saying. Most people will open up if they feel truly heard, and this builds stronger connections—both offline and online.
Applying This to Social Listening
The same skills that make you a better listener in real life can transform your approach to social media. Here’s how:
Observe without distractions: Spend time truly reading comments, reviews, and discussions.
Engage with intention: Respond to what your audience is actually saying, not just what you think they’re saying.
Look for patterns: What topics, questions, or concerns keep coming up? These are clues to what your audience values most.
By practicing intentional listening, you’ll understand your audience on a deeper level. You’ll see what makes them tick, what moves them emotionally, and how they engage with the world online.
Where Do You Stand?
Listening is a skill that takes time to build. If I’m honest, last week I’d rate my own listening skills at a 1 out of 10. This week? Maybe a 4. Progress, not perfection. Where would you rate yourself? And more importantly, how are you working to improve?
Cheers to 2025: The Year of Listening
Listening—both offline and online—is one of the most underrated skills of 2025. It’s not just about hearing words; it’s about understanding and connecting on a deeper level. Let’s slow down, be curious, and make listening the superpower that sets us apart.
Are you ready to start listening better? Let’s do this together.
