Listening is one of the most important skills you can have.
How well you listen can have a major impact on your job effectiveness and on the
quality of your relationships with others. It is an activity you do intentionally and actively.
We listen to understand, to obtain information, for enjoyment, and to learn. As an active listener, you
should be able to repeat back in your own words what has been said.
This does not mean you agree with, but rather understand, what the
speaker is saying.
If something is unclear to you, ask a question to clarify the point before you respond.
When you clarify, remember to let the other person correct your understanding. Again, you
don't have to agree with her perspective; your goal is to understand it.
It takes concentration, practice and determination to become a good listener but by doing so, you will improve your productivity as
well as your ability to influence, persuade and negotiate.
Did you know that "LISTEN" and "SILENT" have the same letters?
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Remember...
Listening to understand is a sign of respect. It helps build trust and relationships,
solve problems, resolve conflicts and improve
accuracy. It often requires you to bite your tongue, which can be difficult to do at times ... but the results are worth the effort.
You have two ears and
only one mouth because listening is twice as hard as talking!
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