I asked my last 10 client organizations what is most instrumental to building and maintaining their business culture. Each answered, communication.
The more we worked on defining and designing their cultures, the more they understood the most important component is listening.
Having been a pretty miserable listener (read that both ways) much of my life, I respect the power listening brings to one’s communication skill set. Add my commitment to employee engagement and my certainty that strong communication between manager and employee generates strong engagement levels.
No wonder I want to offer simple listening tips. I encourage you to use them. I encourage you to share
them among your staff, your community, your family and friends. Listening is the kind of skill that can be improved continually, no matter how great your listening is right now.
I will be facilitating LISTEN! An Audio Conference Thursday, April 24, 4-5:30 pm EDT. You’ll get more of the information below and many more tips, all in greater detail. Click that title if you’d like to know more and to register.
3 Ways to Improve Your Listening
- Make it conscious. Activate your mind to the process of listening. Listening is paying attention to what you hear. Consciously turn the key to that attention. Actually think about listening. There are two ways of doing this. First, remind yourself to think about improving your listening. Just a now-and-again reminder brings listening to the front of your mind. That makes you more aware of ways you might discover to be a better listener. Second, instruct yourself to listen every time you enter into a conversation. I use the two word directive: Just listen! That edict puts me in a conscious mindset to pay better, closer attention to the conversation.
- Put energy on the table. When you listen, someone else is speaking (probably) . That person puts forth her energy and (probably) expects you to exert your energy listening to what’s being said. Make your listening energy obvious to the other person and you reinforce your listening. As well, express that energy by your body language, facial expression, verbal responses and you support that other person. This can make the conversation both effective and affective.
- Use visual attractions. We experience lots of distractions from listening because our minds work faster than the other person speaks. You can develop visual attractions to keep your listening attention on track with what’s being said. Visual because you "see" them in your mind; attractions because they attract you back to listening. Here are two that I use (but they are only examples; whatever you create for yourself will be much more powerful!): I imagine myself turning up a volume button any time I find my attention wandering; I visualize a thought machine that belongs to the speaker and works hard enough for me to admire…and listen to!
I will appreciate your thoughts. Just click "comments" or fill in the Post a Comment box below. For sure, I will listen to them.
And feel free to check out the LISTEN! An Audio Conference offering on Thursday, 4/24/08.
Tags: Communication, Employee Engagement, engagement, Management
