Leadership Viewpoint

Listening is an area that we each need to focus on – and no matter how good we think we are we can always improve. I find that for me the trick is my focus. When I am focused on the speaker, I can actively listen, paraphrasing, clarifying, questioning and really staying on their topic, rather than tossing in my own stories and issues.

Our challenge is in staying focused and giving the other person the time, especially when we are notoriously busy and multi-tasking. The power, I believe, is in the moment of decision – when I decide that:

1. I care about you.

2. I want you to feel cared about and respected.

3. I need to learn what you are thinking about and why.

That is when I am willing to stop whatever I am doing at that moment and focus on you. There are rarely things that cannot wait five minutes for you to tell me something that is urgent. When my back is really up against it, I must warn you that I really cannot focus on you now, and it is then incumbent on me to set a time for us to regroup when I will be able to focus on you.

Remember, listening is far more than being quiet and waiting for the other person to stop speaking so that you can have your turn!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!