listening is a natural process. another common myth is that listening is like breathing a natural activity that people usually do well. the truth is that listening is a skill much like speaking. everybody does it, though few people do it well. in a classic study, 144 managers were asked to rate their listening skills. astonishingly, not one of the mangers described himself or herself as a poor or very poor listener. in fact, 94% rated themselves as good or very good. the favorable self-ratings contrasted sharply with the perceptions of the managers', subordinates, many of whom said their boss's listening skills were weak.