Business >
Business
Effective Listening Equals Effective Leadership
Effective Listening Equals Effective Leadership
Copyright 2005 Kinesis, Inc.
No matter what role you play in your company, becoming a
more effective listener will assist you get ahead in your position. It means fewer errors, improved accuracy, and enhanced working relationships. And, listening to your customers and referral sources will definitely assist you in your marketing efforts. You will solicit better information from other individuals whether interviewing job candidates, solving work problems, or working to make a sale.
Contrary to what many individuals think, being an effective
listener is not a passive activity. It takes concentration, effort, and active attention. Because our brains work much faster than our ability to speak, we often jump way ahead of the speaker in our minds and miss the opportunity to fully understand a person's feelings, position, and perspective. Environmental distractions or personal biases can also interfere with our ability to understand what a person is saying.
When listening, you are giving a gift of your time and attention to the other person. Work to respond both verbally and non-verbally to the person who is speaking. This lets the speaker know that you are listening and that you understand what he or she is trying to communicate. Here are some ideas to assist you hone your listening skills:
1. Don't Talk. This may seem self-evident. However, many
people listen with impatience. They are just waiting for
their chance to speak, or worse yet they interrupt. Be courteous and give your listener your full attention. Avoid offering solutions if the speaker is expressing a problem. Just listen.
2. Listen Fully. A worthy listener looks interested in what
the speaker is saying. Your body language speaks volumes. Maintain eye contact, sit still, lean slightly toward the speaker, and nod your head (but not too vigorously or you'll look like a chicken!).
3. Ask Clarifying Questions. Wait for the speaker to pause,
and question clarifying questions. It's a worthy idea to
paraphrase what the speaker has said and to question questions
such as, "Did you mean?" or "If I understand correctly, you said?"
4. Provide Feedback. Remain engaged in what the speaker is saying and display this verbally. He or she will appreciate the occasional "I see..." or "Really?" or "I know!"
5. Keep Your Mind Open. The point of listening is to gain
new information. Don't just search for a point that
supports your own opinions. Be willing to gain new insights
and learn about somebody else's ideas.
6. Be on the Same Level. Make sure you are at eye level
with the other person. Avoid having an employee or customer stand in front of your desk. Have comfortable chairs available so that a desk is not a barrier between you.
7. Respect Your Speaker. If the conversation involves
criticism from either party or contains personal
information, go to a private room for the discussion. Make
sure other individuals can't listen to your discussion. This
will assist the speaker feel more at ease and demonstrate
your respect for what he or she has to say.
8. Pay Attention to Cues. What isn't being said is often as necessary than what is being said. Body language speaks volumes. Watch the speaker's facial expressions, posture, eyes, gestures, and other nonverbal cues.
9. Avoid Invalidating Language. While you may not agree
with what the speaker is saying, avoid defensive statements
or phrases that argue with his or her points. Later, you
can take time to review what was said and formulate a
response. As an active and effective listener, your role is
to allow the person the time and space to fully express his
or her feelings.
10. Express Appreciation. Thank the listener for sharing
his or her thoughts and feelings. It takes courage to speak
up. True sharing builds trust and encourages further
dialogue.
It takes time and energy to become a better listener. Be patient. As you start to improve your listening skills, you may be surprised to find individuals will seek you out to share their thoughts and feelings. You will also find yourself involved in fewer conflicts and be perceived as a more positive and trustworthy person. Attentive listening is a rare skill that individuals respect and welcome.
ACTION ITEM: This week, concentrate on your listening
skills. Do you finish sentences for others? Do you
interrupt? Do you sneak looks at your watch? Pay attention
to your listening habits and start to bring conscious
attention to improving these skills. Work to display others
that you hear and understand them.
About the Author:
Wendy Maynard, your friendly marketing maven, is the owner
of Kinesis. Kinesis specializes in marketing, graphic and website design, and business writing. Visit http://www.kinesisinc.com/articles for more articles.
Want to harness the power of kinetic marketing? Sign up for Kinesis Quickies, a free bi-monthly marketing e-newsletter: http://www.news.kinesisinc.com Visit Wendy's marketing blog, "Kinetic Ideas" at: http://www.wendy.kinesisinc.com
