Launch Daily Skill Content : Listening

Skill Topic:  Communication

Subskill:  Listening

Communication is vital in the workplace, but most people tend to focus on the talking aspect of communication over the listening. A study that examined a large medical system shows that decision might be misguided. Findings indicated that listening skills accounted for a shocking 40% of the variance in leadership in the organization. In other words, effective listeners rose to the top far more often than those without these fundamental skills.

How could something as easy as listening have such a big impact?

People naturally tend to assume that they’re better than average listeners, but it turns out there’s a lot more to it than smiling and nodding. In fact, the “smile and nod” approach is often an indicator that someone isn’t listening at all!

Want to improve your listening skills? At least once each day, make time for a conversation with a coworker that checks these boxes:

·         You’re focused

It sounds easy, but focusing might be the hardest part of being a good listener. After all, you’re not really listening if you’re thinking about your upcoming presentation, tonight’s football game, or what’s for dinner.

·         You’re present

Once you’re tuned into the conversation, pay unwavering attention to what the other person is saying. We naturally tend to think about what a person is going to say, and then we start planning how we’ll respond. Ironically, you’ll find it’s much easier to respond appropriately when you’re mentally present instead of trying to predict the future course of the conversation.

·         You’re participating

Ask questions if you don’t understand something the speaker is talking about. There’s no shame in admitting you’re not quite following—on the contrary, it shows that you’re engaged and wanting to fully comprehend what’s being said. On the other hand, pretending you grasp a concept will usually come back to bite you.