YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
There has long been a need for improving listening skills. While observing and coaching clients in fine-tuning communications, I have identified three main reasons listening is weak.
First, there is a lack of formalized, professional listening training. Some surveys show that only 2% of professionals indicate they have been formally taught how to listen. Second, gaining strong listening skills is not a priority; it’s taken for granted. Listening is often assumed rather than cultivated. Third, listening well is hard. We are busy, pulled in many directions, and working on being a good listener isn’t even on our radar. But it should be.
An investment in improving listening brings many rewards because it’s one of the most powerful tools a leader or business owner can possess. It builds personal credibility, garners respect and fosters stronger relationships with customers and team members. If you supervise others, they will view you as a more effective leader if your listening skills are effective. It can help at home, too.
My daughter at 5 years old didn’t need a listening course to know when I wasn’t listening. One evening, as I pretended to listen while watching the news, she placed her hands on either side of my face and said, “Daddy, listen to me.” Even at a young age, she understood the importance of being truly heard.
Luckily, listening is a learnable skill. Here are six ways to improve your listening.
Leaders know the difficulty of listening in today’s fast-paced workplace. We are bombarded by endless streams of information that compete for our attention and time. Every time you finish one conversation, you are pulled into another. Add to that the endless interruptions, phone calls and emails. However, this busyness doesn’t give anyone a “free pass” on cultivating and prioritizing better listening habits.
Commit to improving your listening skills and invest the time and resources necessary to help your team do the same. By doing so, you’ll enhance communication, strengthen relationships, and drive better business outcomes.
Mark Holmes is a consultant, professional speaker and author of “Selling to ELON! Understand, Communicate and Sell to Unique Personality Types,” and he’s president of Springfield-based Consultant Board Inc. and SalesRevenueCoach.com. He can be reached at mark@salesrevenuecoach.com.
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