LISTENING SKILLS
Speaking is only one part of effective communications. Listening well is a sign that you respect your superiors, especially your boss, and that you have a good manners. Here are seven tips for being a good listener.
Improve Your Listening Skills
Most people think a great communicator is a person with excellent speaking skills. This is true to some extent, but speaking is only one part of effective communications. Listening is equally important. In fact, listening can be more valuable of the two skills.
Obviously, you can learn more from what other people say than from what you say. With this in mind, it is important to be a good listener. Listening well is a sign that you respect your superiors, especially your boss, and that you have good manners. And contrary to what some people think, you’ll be a more interesting person if you listen intently when others are talking rather than trying to dominate the conversation.
Listening skills:
• Make eye contact and focus on the other person.
• Concentrate on what the other person is saying.
• Be willing to learn from the conversation.
• Listen with the intent of gathering information and building rapport.
• No matter how much restraint it takes, never interrupt. After someone has spoken, pause a moment before taking your turn to speak.
• Acknowledge that you are listening or engaged by nodding your head periodically.
• Engage – ask questions in the interview. One of the key things you can do is to engage and ask the interviewer in a curious and respectful manner. A great question like “tell me something out the company that I wouldn’t find through research, web site or may not know.” Another great question is “what do you think is unique about the company or gives it the edge in the market place?”