Distinctive among great communication skills is listening. When engaging, life changing leaders are evaluated, it’s not just what was said that causes them to stand out, it is also how well the leader listened.
Here are some tips:
- A good listener holds back on the urge to speak. They have a predetermined plan to speak less and listen more. Talk is used to transition and move the conversation.
- Listeners stay focused on the other person. They hold back on interjecting their own experiences. Rather they stay focused on letting the other party’s experience unfold.
- Listeners enter conversation with a strategy of learning. They know what they know. They are focused on learning what the other guy knows.
- Listeners have developed their ability to read the speaker non-verbally. They are alert to body language and reading eyes. They note differences in tone and speaking between the lines. To do this takes focus. No distractions. Full attention.
I contend that when you take account of those who make a difference in your life, there will be good listeners amongst them. Good listeners simply make it more about you than themselves.
How do you stack up? I know I can improve.
