How to be a good listener

The Importance of Improving Listening Skills in the Workplace

The encounters I have on a daily basis with different people make it clear that very few of them are genuinely good listeners. Few people may be considered to have good listening abilities, whether they be friends, family, coworkers, or associates. As a result, businesses are in need of putting in place certain tactics that will eventually help workers’ listening skills to improve. The ability to constantly convey signals from one staff member to another without changing the content or structure of the original statement is measured and improved through duplicate exercises (Scott, 2017). The application of the tasks after verbal training activities is another strategy. The employees can then identify areas of weakness and rectify. The fact that each person tends to construe verbal information differently means that organizations should utilize the paraphrasing activities and the provision of personal interpretations. Lastly, engaging in improvisation techniques that facilitate the creation of meaningful storylines from listening are equally important.

Enhancing Listening Skills at an Individual Level

Enhancing listening skills must take place at a personal level as well. In fact, Clark (2012), recommends several aspects that facilitate the improvement of individual listening ability. These strategies include facing the speakers while maintaining eye contact, being attentive, listening without judging or jumping to conclusions as well as visualizing what is being said. Picturing the speaker’s words goes a long way in eliciting empathy and connection. Furthermore, unnecessary interruptions should be minimal, and questions should come during pauses or at the end of the speech. A combination of these approaches not only enhance mental creations of the message but also facilitates responsiveness based on the speaker’s feelings.

References

Clark, N. F. (2012, November 9). 10 Steps To Effective Listening. Retrieved from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/womensmedia/2012/11/09/10-steps-to-effective-listening/#1acf80073891

Scott, S. (2017). Listening Skills Activities for the Workplace. Retrieved from Chron: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/listening-skills-activities-workplace-22574.html