| Listen
Up! 10 Techniques for Effective Listening |
In today's pressurized business
environment, good listening skills are perhaps more vital than ever.
However, listening is the least-taught communication skill, and the
one in which practically all of us could use a refresher course. Not
only are poor listening skills considered bad form, but the inability
to hear and comprehend what your employees, team members, boss, partners and
customers have to say can be costly to your business.
Practice with the ten techniques below will improve your
understanding and effectiveness of your business.
| 1 |
Decide to listen. Listening is
a choice. So deciding to stop talking and start listening is an
important first step.
|
| 2. |
Let go of your own personal
agenda. To truly hear someone, you need to let go of your own agenda,
and prejudices. Focus your attention by
clearing away all distractions and any preconceived notions, so that you can be fully
present and create space in your mind for different views.
|
| 3. |
Be curious. Effective
listening requires you to be curious about how other people see
the world. Seek to understand all you can, ask
open questions and try to see the world through
another persons' perceptual lens.
|
| 4. |
Listen with your eyes.
Maintain eye contact with the speaker and pay attention to all the visual, non-verbal clues. People will appreciate your
attention and be better able to communicate to you. With practice,
you will become more able to read
the signs and understand the meaning of what is being
communicated.
|
| 5. |
Listen for the whole message.
Make sure you hear and understand the whole message before you
respond. A common bad habit is to only hear what you expect to
hear, and then begin rehearsing your response, ready to pitch in
as soon as the dialog has stopped. (Or worse still, interrupting
with a response to what you think you will hear.)
|
| 6. |
Be patient. Some people take
longer to find the right words, to make a point or clarify an
issue. Leave time for them to think and complete their message.
Wait, and then wait some more.
|
| 7. |
Listen with respect.
Respecting the right to differ is a key concept that is especially
important when you are listening. Differences may lie in the
opinions being expressed, or in the communication style that is
being used. Remember that even when you are not communicating
verbally, your own non-verbal cues speak for you. Listen to
understand not to judge. Read more
|
| 8. |
Feel empathy. This is
particularly important when people communicate something personal
or painful. Empathy is more then feeling sorry for someone.
Empathy requires you to first understand and feel others' emotions
and feelings so that you can then acknowledge the message and
share your new understanding.
|
| 9. |
Manage your own emotions and
reactions. If
what others are saying creates an emotional response in you, be
attentive to listen for the intent and full meaning of their
words. Don't allow others to blow wind into your sails. Remember
you have control of your reactions. You cannot stop the wind, but
you can let it spill off your sails! Maintaining your calm, even
when you feel like your 'buttons' are being pushed, is a powerful
skill that will help you achieve your goals in all aspects of your
life. Getting defensive and angry makes it impossible to listen.
|
| 10. |
Test for understanding. Periodically
summarize what you have heard to test your understanding. Also, by
asking questions to clarify your understanding, you will draw out
a clearer picture of what is being said.
|
|
"Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you'd have preferred to talk."
- Doug Larson
"Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens." - Jimi Hendrix
"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."
- Winston Churchill
"Lenin could listen so intently that he exhausted the speaker." - Sir Isaiah Berlin
|
| Leading Insight |
|
Leading Insight is a management consulting
company, based in San Clemente, California. Its purpose is to provide
services that help companies increase the effectiveness of their people,
resulting in greater productivity and revenues.
We provide a range of services from
executive and team coaching, to vision development and business planning, sales
optimization, and a variety of workshops on leadership and business
development. More information on our services is available at
our website.
Thank you for reading this issue of the monthly Leading Insight
eZine.
|
|
