| No doubt you have been a lot of training courses but | | | | processes. Ask your people for ideas and input on |
| I doubt if you have been on a listening course. This | | | | specific subjects or problems. Listen very carefully to |
| article explains why listening is so important and how | | | | the answers. |
| you can improve your skills. As people in leadership | | | | Use these techniques. |
| positions we often assume more than we should. We | | | | - Make eye contact with the speaker. |
| presume that our followers are crystal clear on job | | | | - Don't interrupt. It your speaker finish before you |
| expectations but we become so busy that we start | | | | draw any conclusions |
| listening. As we rise up the corporate ladder, we | | | | - Keep an open mind. Clarify your perceptions by |
| come more and more distant from our followers. | | | | asking further questions. |
| However, we can operate in isolation for only a | | | | - Listen to understand what is not being said. |
| limited amount of time. Eventually every leader | | | | - Focus on the message, not the person. Evaluate |
| requires the benefit of a healthy, high performing | | | | the message not the person |
| team. | | | | - Take notes to show how important you regard the |
| When a leader is deaf to communication from below, | | | | message being given. |
| his or her followers will soon learn not to confide | | | | - Maintain a professional approach. Avoid reacting to |
| ideas with the boss. This situation is exacerbated | | | | emotional messages. |
| because no one will be willing to pass on bad news | | | | - Give your speaker your undivided attention. Make |
| either. Somehow we have to create an environment | | | | sure that there are no external distractions. |
| where we can demonstrate to our followers that we | | | | - Listen for areas of common interest. |
| welcome their feedback, their ideas, their opinions, no | | | | - Paraphrase your speaker's message so that you |
| matter whether they are good, bad or indifferent. | | | | both know that understanding has taken place. At |
| Never forget that as a leader your job is to offer | | | | the first opportunity, try putting these points into |
| continual and clear feedback, positive reinforcement | | | | action. You will be quite surprised at the reaction that |
| and create an environment for feedback from the | | | | you get from individuals in your team when you start |
| staff. This is the only way that ideas can be | | | | to apply these points during a conversation. |
| generated, improvements made and all members of | | | | Remember, when you are listening with this sort of |
| the team can be engaged in working towards the | | | | purpose, you should spend only 20% of the time |
| goal. The most effective way to acknowledge your | | | | talking. The other 80% should be active listening. |
| people is to involve them in the day-to-day business | | | | |