Is Anyone Listening?
The ability to listen effectively is consistently rated as
one of the most important skills necessary for success in the workplace. A
survey of North American executives reveals that 80 percent believe that
listening is one of the most important skills needed in the corporate
environment. The same survey participants, however, also rated the skill as one
of the most lacking. Effective listening is crucial to providing quality
service, facilitating groups, training staff, improving teamwork, and
supervising and managing for improved performance. In times of stress and
change, effective listening is the cornerstone of workplace harmony, since it
furthers interpersonal and intercultural understanding. Listening is more than
just hearing. It is an interactive process that takes concentration and
commitment.
Although
listening is critical to our daily lives, it is taught and studied far less
than the other three basic communication skills: reading, writing, and
speaking. Overreliance on television and computers also contributes to our
listening problems. Much of the trouble we have communicating with others is
because of poor listening skills. Studies show that we spend about 80 percent
of our waking hours communicating, and at least 45 percent of that time listening.
Most people can benefit from improving their listening skills. You can arrive
at a fairly accurate assessment of your listening skills by thinking about your
relationships with the people in your life—your boss, colleagues, best friends,
family. If asked, what would they say about how well you listen? Do you often
misunderstand assignments, or only vaguely remember what people have said to
you? If so, you may need to improve your listening skills. These suggestions
may assist you in your listening improvement:
·
Become aware of biases and filters that keep you
from listening effectively.
·
Identify the aspects of listening that you need
to improve upon.
·
Get comfortable with silence.
·
Monitor your body language, facial expressions,
and other nonverbal signals that might appear negative.
·
Listen between words for feelings.
·
Give signals that you are listening.
·
Take notes.
·
Hear people out before cutting in with your
reply.
·
Don’t begin answers with “I.”
·
Learn to ask nonaggressive questions.
·
Understand that listening does not mean
agreeing.
Listening
skills can have a dramatic effect on your personal and professional success. By
listening, you get listened to. Listening builds relationships and wins trust.
Source:
Salopek, J. J. (1999, September). Is anyone listening? Training and Development, 53(9), 58+.
Questions
1. Why is listening so important? How can it
affect not only your learning, but success or failure in the business world?
2. Describe the 4 types of listening as explained
in Chapter 2. After you compare/contrast the different types, comment on which
one you believe you spend most of your day doing. *Do not copy and paste ideas,
but make sure you put the information in your own words.
3. Your text comments on 6 different “Poor
Listening Habits”. Briefly explain the 6, and then pick 2 that you feel you are
the worst at.
4. Based on the information you have just
found, tell us why you are either a good
or poor listener. Support your conclusion with reasons and/or evidence of one
or more situations in which your listening was put to the test.
