If you are interested in becoming a better leader for your business, it is important to learn to become a good listener. One characteristic that many strong leaders have in common is seeking to understand those around them and actively listening to others.
In business, communication is crucial to helping you build relationships with your clients, creating a strong team, branding, and helping you increase productivity. The one piece that often gets missed with communication is listening.
By improving your listening skills, your team as well as your customers will feel cared for and better understood. So, how can you start to become a better listener today? You can start by utilizing the below seven principles to help improve your skills.
1. Seek to Understand
The first step to becoming a better listener is by focusing on trying to understand others rather than seeking for others to understand you. We definitely all want to be understood, however, to improve your skills you must first try to understand what your employees or clients are feeling and expressing. Try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes and look at situations from their perspective versus your own.
2. Listen Actively
It can be easy to get distracted when you are speaking with someone, however, you need to be actively engaging to show them that they are being heard. It takes energy as well as focus in order to fully take the conversation in. Also be sure to show signs that you are listening. These include looking directly at the individual who is speaking, reflecting on what is being said, not interrupting the speaker, using facial expressions, nodding, and deferring any judgment. This step will definitely take practice as we can easily get distracted and not truly hear what the speaker is saying.
3. Be Present
When having a conversation with someone, you need to be present in the moment. Give the individual time to fully express their thoughts. It can be easy for us to formulate how we will respond in our heads while the individual hasn’t had enough time to finish what they are saying. When we do this, we are not giving the speaker a chance and are missing out on what they are trying to communicate. Practice trying to wait until the individual has completed their thought prior to formulating your response.
4. Pay Attention to Body Language
Although it may seem simple, body language is just as important as the above steps. About 55% of communication is non-verbal while the other 38% is vocal. This means that body language is even more important than the words we speak. Since a majority of our communication is non-verbal, it is essential that we are showing the speaker that we are actively listening and paying attention to what their body is telling us as well. By simply understanding their gestures or posture, we can get a better understanding of what they are feeling and how we should communicate with them.
5. Make Eye Contact
Making eye contact helps build a rapport and also helps the speaker understand that you are actively paying attention to them. It can also show them that you are not bored or uninterested in the conversation.
6. Clarify and Question
By asking the speaker questions, you are showing them that you are actively listening and engaging in the conversation. You should not only ask questions but provide feedback and always clarify information with them. If you would like to strive to be an outstanding listener then you should be curious and ask things that encourage elaboration. This helps the individual feel that you are seeking to better understand them and that you care about what they have to say.
7. Acknowledge Common Fears
As we communicate with other people, we are putting ourselves in a vulnerable position because we are then at risk of being rejected or misunderstood. Unfortunately, the fear of being vulnerable can prevent us from really listening and engaging in the conversation. This is why we should acknowledge common fears that we may face. Remember that both yourself as well as the speaker are more than likely feeling the same way. As you engage with them, try to formulate responses that would make the speaker feel more comfortable so that they can easily open up with you.
By following the above seven steps, you will be able to help improve your listening skills which will in turn make you a better communicator and leader. Although these steps may seem simple, they will take practice and in good time you will see improvement. By becoming a better listener, you will notice that your clients, your team, and your business will benefit. This will help others to feel valued and heard since you are truly listening to their thoughts. Take the leap today and start practicing these seven principles so you can start actively engaging with others.
