This week I want to talk about listening, really listening, not just pausing and smiling and nodding whilst someone is talking to you, as you think about what you have to do next….
Listening seems like such a simple topic that we shouldn’t have to pause and think about, but how well do we actually listen?
Listening enables us to gain an understanding of the needs, expectations, and preferences of our stakeholders (line manager, a service user/ client/ customer, colleague, team member etc). In essence there are two components to active listening: attention and reflection.
- Attention involves holding eye contact, nodding and mirroring the person’s body language, demonstrating genuine interest in what they are saying. It also involves concentration, allowing the speaker to finish their thought in its entirety.
- Reflection is when you repeat and paraphrase what the person has said to show that you truly understand what they are saying.
Being a good listener, using attention and reflection, helps to solve problems, improve relationships and resolve conflicts.
With that in mind, take time to think:
- How would you, and your team, rate you as a listener?
- When you are in conversations with stakeholders are you immediately applying judgement to what is being said, or do you wait until the speaker has finished before you form a view?
- Who do you know you listen to and who do you not? Is that a diverse group of people? What are you going to do about that?
As leaders, we can show our people that we are role modelling the changes that all of us want to see. Let’s be better and be the change. Contact [email protected] if you would like help to do so.
For more articles, encouraging you to think and be the change – visit here.