Perfecting The Art of Listening

 

Being able to communicate appropriately is essential. You must learn to share with different people for you to have a better understanding of certain information. But, do you know how to honestly communicate?

Communication is a two-way street. One talks, and the other listens. It’s that simple. But, when have you honestly communicated? Being the boss of your business, you need to have strong listening skills. Effective communication is essential for the development of any organization. An entrepreneur’s crucial function is to perform his planning, organizing, motivating, and controlling duties.

It is safe to say that communication is the building block of an organization. Thus its benefits cannot be overlooked.

1. Communication helps the entrepreneur to know how a job is performed and to be able to improve his performance if it lacks the quality expected of him.
2. Communication is a means where information is relayed and helps in the decision-making process and to help identify alternative approaches or strategies.
3. Communication helps build better attitudes of individuals. Depending on the kind of media that they are exposed to, the philosophy of individuals may differ.
4. Communication is the soul of any business. Without networking/socializing, a company may remain inexistent regardless of the number of months it has been operational.
5. With the help of proper communication, people can voice out their grievances, particularly employees. Therefore, they can be well-informed if the policies of the organization are explained to them clearly.
6. Communication is one way of increasing the morale of the employees.

 

The Listening Entrepreneur

As an entrepreneur, it is not expected of you to be constantly talking. There is also a time when you need to stop listening to what your employees want to tell you. If you must, try to spend more time listening than talking. Although you may have comprehensive knowledge about your business, you still can’t expect that all your plans will come out the way you planned them. Sometimes, all we need to realize is that we have made it by listening to others. Imagine us in a circle, wherein we are focused on what we want to see. But, it doesn’t always guarantee that we are right or what we know is enough. We should also learn to think about how others would perceive the way we do things. And through listening, this can easily be achieved.

For a business to become successful, it denotes practical communication skills – listening and talking, but more importantly, attentively listening to what the other party is saying. Unless both parties know how to effectively communicate, they are bound to a disagreement or worse.

1. Always learn to listen attentively. Always make time to truly listen to what the other person is saying. It is hard to create a good relationship with anyone. If you are used to nodding at anything that the other person is sitting without truly understanding what has been said. When you pay close attention to the speaker, it assures the speaker that you value what he is telling you.
2. Make eye contact. When you do this, it makes the speaker feel interested in what he is saying. It helps you focus on what the speaker is talking about.
3. Get rid of your mobile phones and other distractions. I know how important it is to have our mobile phones, particularly when we want to ensure our family is safe. But, it could be a distraction and a show of disinterest if you keep checking your mobile phone every now and then. The same goes when checking on the time while the other person is talking. It shows how you are uninterested in the things that the other person is talking about.
4. If you need to say something or reply to what has been said, learn to have the proper timing. You cannot just butt in anytime. You want because it will undoubtedly lead to an altercation. The speaker may find it very offensive to interrupt him in the middle of what he tells you. You can better understand what is being said to you if you let the other person finish before you speak.
5. Once the other party has stopped talking, you may clarify certain things that you need to understand more. Do not hesitate to ask a question (but, of course, keep it in a friendly tone). By doing this, the other person will feel that you are genuinely interested in what he has shared with you.
6. Encourage the speaker to express himself. Sometimes, some people feel uncomfortable talking about sensitive topics, particularly an employee to his employer. Instead of firing out sarcastic comments, ask questions that can help you better understand what is being told to you.
7. Provide feedback. Not every information that is shared with you is something that you would agree on. Appropriately, if you disagree, say it politely. If you agree, make your feedback as enjoyable.

Indeed, most of us just appear to be listening when our mind is off somewhere in reality. And when we make this a habit, we tend to miss many opportunities to create better relationships with others. Whether you are talking to your parents, spouse, employer, or just any other person, wouldn’t it be much better if you give us time to listen? So that we can better communicate?

God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason. Becoming a better listener promotes a better life ahead of you as you become an instrument of providing positivity to people’s lives.

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You may contact Armando “Butz” Bartolome for questions and more information.

By email: [email protected]

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