The two most basic elements of good communication are listening to others and asking questions. The physical process of hearing, where sound enters your eardrum and is registered in your brain, is not the same as listening. Listening is more of an attitude, a desire to understand what is being communicated, and it is an essential communication skill. Many of us don’t listen very well, and we fake it a lot of the time. We pretend we are listening when we really aren’t and that can create a whole lot of trouble with other people.