Impact of Active Listening on your Job

[Guest guest]

Do you listen to desirably, or wanting to.

 

Listening is one of the most important skills you can have. How well

you listen has a major impact on your job effectiveness, and on the

quality of your relationships with others. You would think we'd be

good at it! In fact we're not. Depending on the study being quoted, we

remember a dismal 25-50% of what we hear. That means that when you

talk to your boss, colleagues, customers or spouse for 10 minutes,

they only really hear some of the conversation.

 

Clearly, listening is a skill that we can all benefit from improving.

By becoming a better listener, you will improve your productivity, as

well as your ability to influence, persuade and negotiate. What's

more, you'll avoid various interpersonal external and internal

conflict and misunderstandings- all necessary for workplace success.

 

Empathic Listener/Active Listener

 

The way to become a better listener is to practice " active listening " .

This is where you make a conscious effort to hear not only the words

that another person is saying but, more importantly, to try and

understand the total message being sent. In order to do this you must

pay attention to the other person very carefully, You cannot allow

yourself to become distracted by what else may be going on around you,

or by forming counter arguments that you'll make when the other person

stops speaking. Nor can you allow yourself to lose focus on what the

other person is saying. All of these barriers contribute to a lack of

listening and understanding.

 

How to enhance your listening Skill?

 

To enhance your listening skills, you need to let the other person

know that you are listening to what he or she is saying. To understand

the importance of this, ask yourself if you've ever been engaged in a

conversation when you wondered if the other person was listening to

what you were saying. You wonder if your message is getting across, or

if it's even worthwhile to continue speaking. It feels like talking to

a brick wall and it's something you want to avoid.

 

You aren't necessarily agreeing with the person, you are simply

indicating that you are listening. Using body language and other signs

to acknowledge you are listening also reminds you to pay attention and

not let your mind wander.

 

You should also try to respond to the speaker in a way that will both

encourage him or her to continue speaking, so that you can get the

information if you need, an occasional question or comment to recap

what has been said communicates that you understand the message as well.

 

Key Elements to become Active/Emphatic listener

 

There are five key elements of active listening. They all help you

ensure that you hear the other person, and that the other person knows

you are hearing what they are saying.

 

Acknowledgment

 

· Give the speaker your undivided attention and acknowledge the

message. Recognize that what is not said also speaks loudly.

 

· Look at the speaker directly.

 

· Put aside distracting thoughts. Don't mentally prepare a rebuttal!

 

· Avoid being distracted by environmental factors.

 

· " Listen " to the speaker's body language.

 

· Refrain from side conversations when listening in a group setting.

 

Show that you are listening.

 

· Use your own body language and gestures to convey your attention.

 

· Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like

yes, ahan and uh huh.

 

· Nod occasionally.

 

· Smile and use other facial expressions.

 

· Note your posture and make sure it is open and inviting.

 

Feedback

 

· Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments, and beliefs can

distort what we hear. As a listener, your role is to understand what

is being said. This may require you to reflect what is being said and

ask questions.

 

· Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. " What I'm hearing is. "

and " Sounds like you are saying. " are great ways to reflect back.

 

· Ask questions to clarify certain points. " What do you mean when you

say. " " Is this what you mean? "

 

· Summarize the speaker's comments periodically.

 

Avoid Interrupting in mid of message Interrupting is a waste of time.

It frustrates the speaker and limits full understanding of the message.

 

· Allow the speaker to finish.

 

· Don't interrupt with counterarguments.

 

Respond Appropriately.

 

· Active listening is a model for respect and understanding. You are

gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking the

speaker or otherwise putting him or her down.

 

· Be candid, open, and honest in your response.

 

· Assert your opinions respectfully.

 

· Treat the other person as he or she would want to be treated.

 

It takes a lot of concentration and determination to be an active

listener. Old habits are hard to break, and if your listening habits

are as bad as many people's are, then there's a lot of habit-breaking

to do! Be deliberate with your listening and remind yourself

constantly that your goal is to truly hear what the other person is

saying. Set aside all other thoughts and behaviors and concentrate on

the message. Ask question, reflect, and paraphrase to ensure you

understand the message. If you don't, then you'll find that what

someone says to you and what you hear can be amazingly different! Try

to become an emphatic listener and better communicator to improve your

workplace productivity and relationships.