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Listening Skills in Business Communication
By John T. Williams Related
For truly effective communication, business people must hone their listening skills to ensure they fully understand the whole message: not just the content, but the motivation behind whats being said, the circumstances around which theyre conversing, even what gets left out of the conversation. Colleagues must listen with ears and eyes, picking up on voice tone and physical cues to take in the whole message. Show
HearingQuite literally, you cant listen if you cant receive audible input. To make it easy to hear, find a place with no interruptions or background noise space that may be difficult to find on an assembly line or sales floor. Reduce background noise, phone calls, pinging email notices or any other stimuli that might tempt you to multi-task. Stop work, look at the colleague and focus on what he is saying. AttendingWith physical distractions minimized, concentrate on the speaker, filtering out extraneous ideas. Wait until the coworker has finished a thought, allowing for pauses between sentences. Even if you agree with what she says, interrupting the thought can distract her or make her feel too uncomfortable to flesh out the thought further. Important facts or ideas go off-course this way, sometimes permanently. UnderstandingOnce you take in the message, follow up to ensure comprehension. Ask questions to clarify parts you feel unsure about, preferably by repeating the particular point that is an issue and asking your colleague to elaborate or even rephrase until you gain clarity. RespondingThroughout the conversation, but particularly toward the end, provide feedback. Maintain eye contact, with the body squarely facing the speaker, and nod or give encouragement with yes or I see. Then recap or paraphrase key points, summarizing in your own words what you heard and giving the speaker time to confirm or correct these summaries. RememberingThe most important way to make the speaker feel confident that he has been heard is to remember the conversation. During the conversation, write down points or phrases to jog your memory later. These notes can include nonverbal cues, like seemed very agitated or was enthusiastic to help recall the intensity or tone of the message. Look for specifics to act on, then get back to your coworker and show how these actions made a difference. This reinforces confidence and trust that you really do listen, and encourages colleagues to speak up more often. References
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Writer Bio Building on two decades of experience in market research and business writing, John T. Williams sorts through the mix of information, audience and channel, carving out concise, coherent content from raw intel to help clients overcome communications challenges. Related ArticlesHow to Improve Active Listening Skills in Business SituationsEffective Listening in Business CommunicationHow to Achieve Success Through Effective Business CommunicationListening Techniques in the WorkplaceHow to Listen to Feedback in the Workplace and Not Become EmotionalActive Listening Techniques in the WorkplaceHow to Become a Better Speaker in the Work EnvironmentHow to Deal With Sarcasm at WorkHow to Foster a Welcoming Attitude in the Work SettingOral Business CommunicationThree Guidelines for Oral CommunicationHow to Build Positive Communication SkillsMost Popular
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