In this episode, I'm going to cover a few to improve your listening skills and, specifically, a few ways to help improve the listening and communication among your team members. If you stick around until the end, I will give you a fun way to get your team laughing and thinking more seriously about how they communicate and how they listen.
How to Improve Listening Skills in the Workplace
If you are like most people, you probably believe you are a great listener. The problem is that everyone else that you have to deal with needs to improve their listening skills, right? The truth is that this often-used term has two parts — “Listening” and “Skills.” We often overlook the second part. Skills are those strengths that we develop through consistent focus over time.
When I was a kid, our little town had a community center with a basketball gym. I wasn’t a member, by my best friend was. He went there three to four times a week to play ball with other kids. One weekend, I spent the night at his house, and he invited me to go to the gym with him. I spent 10 minutes or so practicing a few shots. Some other kids arrived, and we divided into teams. Within the first couple of trips up and down the court, I realized that I had the least skill on the court. (Just as an FYI, I never did develop this skill.)
My point is that the other kids were much better than me at basketball because they practiced. I didn’t.
People who are effective listeners are effective listeners because they practice. You can be a good listener as well with just a little practice, yourself. In fact, listening is one of the most important skills in leadership development. If you want to be a great leader, the first step is to develop good communication skills. And the easiest way to do that is to develop active listening skills.
Improve Listening Skills at Work — The Four Levels of Listening
In order to become a better listener, step one is to determine what good listening skills are. In our leadership classes, we introduce four levels of listening. The levels are listed below from the worst listening skills to the best.
Critical listening around the office isn’t difficult. You can encourage your team to take small steps and teach them the art of listening. That is if you have taken the time to practice good listening skills yourself.
One of the best ways to set a good example is to practice empathetic listening in one-on-one conversations with your team. Use the practical tips above. Successful leaders pay careful attention to details and make great listening a daily routine. You can too!
In this episode, I'm going to cover a few to improve your listening skills and, specifically, a few ways to help improve the listening and communication among your team members. If you stick around until the end, I will give you a fun way to get your team laughing and thinking more seriously about how they communicate and how they listen.
How to Improve Listening Skills in the Workplace
If you are like most people, you probably believe you are a great listener. The problem is that everyone else that you have to deal with needs to improve their listening skills, right? The truth is that this often-used term has two parts — “Listening” and “Skills.” We often overlook the second part. Skills are those strengths that we develop through consistent focus over time.
When I was a kid, our little town had a community center with a basketball gym. I wasn’t a member, by my best friend was. He went there three to four times a week to play ball with other kids. One weekend, I spent the night at his house, and he invited me to go to the gym with him. I spent 10 minutes or so practicing a few shots. Some other kids arrived, and we divided into teams. Within the first couple of trips up and down the court, I realized that I had the least skill on the court. (Just as an FYI, I never did develop this skill.)
My point is that the other kids were much better than me at basketball because they practiced. I didn’t.
People who are effective listeners are effective listeners because they practice. You can be a good listener as well with just a little practice, yourself. In fact, listening is one of the most important skills in leadership development. If you want to be a great leader, the first step is to develop good communication skills. And the easiest way to do that is to develop active listening skills.
Improve Listening Skills at Work — The Four Levels of Listening
In order to become a better listener, step one is to determine what good listening skills are. In our leadership classes, we introduce four levels of listening. The levels are listed below from the worst listening skills to the best.
Critical listening around the office isn’t difficult. You can encourage your team to take small steps and teach them the art of listening. That is if you have taken the time to practice good listening skills yourself.
One of the best ways to set a good example is to practice empathetic listening in one-on-one conversations with your team. Use the practical tips above. Successful leaders pay careful attention to details and make great listening a daily routine. You can too!