Volume 1 Issue 1

Listen UP!
Remember your mother's advice, listen before you poke your eye out?

No one can argue the importance that listening plays in our day to day communication. Let's face it, as managers we spend at least 50% of our time listening to others, we can't help it! We have fires to put out, deadlines to meet and decisions to make that rely not only on our observations and know-how, but also on what other people tell us.

When we are unwilling or not interested in listening, our ability to manage is greatly affected since the most significant impact of not listening is felt on our relationships. Effective management is all about developing strong and mutually respectful relationships with others and not listening gives them a clear message that their input is not valued and that we don't care about them. People then feel discounted or ignored and quickly lose their motivation to get involved.

The good news is; developing our listening skills will increase our ability to make the right decisions, take appropriate action and as importantly, solidify our relationships. We can now become pro-active listeners by following the next few steps.

Steps to Effective Listening
The process of listening is a conscious one; we have to remember to listen. We then have to want to listen since listening is a choice, it's a decision we make. Only we can decide whether or not to listen.

Effective listening then requires a commitment to give someone our undivided attention. Listening from a neutral, open-minded position without interruption, prejudice, preconceptions and judgment facilitates objectivity and balance.

The next step requires our ability to concentrate not only on the content of the message but also on how the message is delivered. In other words, we need to avoid concentrating all our attention on what is said. It is also necessary to combine our focus on how it's said. When we listen to both words and emotions, we notice a fascinating thing; we absorb both content and intent and our understanding is deeper.

We listen with a view to acquire knowledge and increase our understanding. The more information we gather and the better we understand a situation, the more likely we are to make sound and responsible decisions and take appropriate action. Remember, the key to effective listening is how we listen.

In our next issue, we will be looking at the barriers to effective listening and easy-to-use practical ways to overcome them.

Listening Tips:
Remember;
conscious activity.
Want;
decision to make.
Commit;
give undivided attention.
Concentrate;
on words and feelings.