I'm
all EARS
Talking is good but
listening is better. It is widely known that listening is an important factor
to thre first step of being an effective communicator. Yes, it sounds contradictory
yet it is logical too because just by the simple act of listening to what is
being communicated across, you relay the message to the speaker that he or she
is important. Now, that is the best bridge over troubled waters built by humans
in any century. And the start of becoming a good listener is having the willingness
and readines to learn.
Organisations who have
staff with poor listening skills pay a high price as it will mean misinformed
and confused staff, inefficient and wasted meeting time, wrong or inaccurate
orders, lost of custmers and overall chaos and bedlam.
Here are some guidelines
in breaking down the walls from making you a successful listener:
Silence Is
Golden
|
Don’t
use listening time to prepare for your own comments as it hampers
concentration of what is still being said and it may cause you to interrupt
or squeeze your ideas in whatever the speaker pauses to take a breath.
|
Do
wait four to five seconds before replying as this allows the speaker
to sum up his or her statements. It also makes the speaker feel that
you are mulling respectfully over what was brought up.
|
I Hear Your
Voice
|
Don’t
listen to just the words and ideas as you may fail to understand
the full message.
|
Do
listen beyond the words and ideas, and reach for the emotions and
feelings involved by observing the speaker’s body language, facial expression
and tone of voice which may not be the same as the spoken statements.
|
|
Mind
Your Semantics
|
Don’t
create opportunity for semantic difficulties which assumes that words
mean the same to everybody as this can cause confusion and misunderstandings
to arise very easily. |
Do
clarify and ensure that you know what the speaker mean exactly with
his or her words, ideas and feelings. Give feedback on how you perceive
the message conveyed as a counter check for yourself. Your feedback
can also serve as an evaluation tool for the speaker to gauge how people
receive the message.
|
|
Plan,
Plan And Plan
|
Don’t
go into any situation without some advance preparation and research
especially if you anticipate a difficult communication experience.
|
Do
your homework, collect information, be positive, prepare for possible
questions and ask for assistance if needed.
|
|
Listen
And Remember
|
Don’t
presume that you can remember everything that were said as it’s
an impossible task.
|
Do
take notes of ideas or record messages as this also enhances to
the speaker that you think his or her message is important.
|
Action, Take
One
|
Don’t
allow yourself to become an indifferent listener as this only diminishes
your communications skills.
|
Do
develop a plan of action to become a caring listener. For example,
first list 5 people to listen to with more care. Then evaluate yourself
as a listener, list down benefits of improved listening ability and
monitor your listening progress with these 5 people.
|
Albert
Eistein says. "The formula for success is X + Y + Z + A
with
A being success, X being work, Y being play, and Z being keeping your mouth
shut."
"Listen
with care, Open the windoww of opportunity Make life richer and fuller"
Info extracted Quality Progress
Magazine
|
