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No matter what your position in your company, having great listening skill is a must. All your work activities need you to listen to other and good listeners have the chance to get ahead in your position. When you listen carefully, it minimizes errors, improves accuracy, and enhances working relationships. If you work in marketing field, you have to listen more on your customers. Many people think that listening is a passive activity. Actually, that is not relatively true since you have to concentrate, do some efforts, and give active attention. Your brain is supposed to work faster and sometimes you have to think hard to fully understand a person's feelings, position, and perspective.
While you are listening, you have to give your fully attention to the speaker. Sometimes, you should response with gestures to let the speaker know that you are listening and understand what the topic. You should not talk. It does not mean that you are only sit passively. This is the time for you to listen patiently without waiting the chance to speak or interrupt. There will be a time for you to speak later and just focus on the speaker. You are not allowed to offer solutions if the speaker is explaining the problem. You have o know that a good listener always looks interested in what the speaker is saying. Your gestures indicate your interest on certain problem. So, keep doing eye contact, sitting still, leaning slightly toward the speaker, and nod your head few times.
Actually, if you do not really understand the points, you may ask by paraphrasing what the speaker has said. Then, give enough verbal feedback. Of course, you have to keep your mind open while listening. This is the chance for you to gather a lot of information. It will be wrong if listening is done to find the ideas which support your own opinions. Additionally, you should make sure that you are in the same level with the speaker. For example, you sit in the same level and keep the eye contact. In case you disagree with the speaker’s opinion, it is not wise if you argue or debate his or her points directly. You still have enough time to think and formulate a better response. A good leader has to listening the members’ explanation and express appreciation. |