How to Improve Leadership Listening Skills
Listening is one of those skills that most people tend to take for granted. After all, it is done virtually automatically--or so we think. But, hearing is not listening. True listening requires active effort on the part of the listener. Listening effectively is important for all of us, but especially for leaders. Leaders who can build effective leadership skills will find that they establish stronger relationships with employees and that their work team becomes more effective and productive.
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Instructions
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Commit to making listening a leadership priority. Active listening requires concerted effort. Managers should commit to listening actively to employees as an important step in building their listening skills.
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Remove all distractions. Listening can be hampered by noise which can be aural or visual. Looking out the window on a nice day, for example, can be classified as noise. When involved in a conversation with an employee, make an effort to remove all distractions--meet in a quiet place where you can devote your full attention to the speaker.
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Watch for nonverbal signals. Effective leadership listening involves listening for nonverbal signals as well as verbal input. If an employee is saying, "yes, I would be glad to do this," but shaking his or her head while saying it, that sends a strong signal that you should pick up. Crossed arms, a slumped posture, frowning--these are all nonverbal cues that should be part of what you "hear" when interacting with others.
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React non-defensively. Regardless of what an employee is saying and how much you may disagree or even feel offended, it is important to remain non-defensive. Put your thoughts aside and focus on what the employee is saying. Seek to understand their perspective before inserting your own.
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Paraphrase to verify your understanding. To avoid making incorrect assumptions, you should paraphrase what you hear. That doesn't mean parroting back everything the employee has said, but summarizing what you've heard and asking the employee to verify that your understanding is correct.
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References
- Photo Credit listening image by Peter Baxter from Fotolia.com
