I discovered some tips on relationship communication skills, some of which I think apply in the business world. The article references active listening but I really found the section with 8 tips to encourage someone to say more; as a useful section. You can see the site here. The first three bullets points are useful to me. It is important to let someone finish what they’re saying at work because you don’t want to say something prematurely and sound like the bad guy if you’re wrong or if you have misjudged. I always feel like giving someone space and asking questions goes a long way, the tips say not to act as if you’re interviewing. This is an excellent point because let’s face it, interviews are stressful to most people and ultimately the goal is to have a flowing conversation with information give and take; not a question and answer.
I find that the best way to get information at work is to ask for it then let the other person do the talking. The tips I outlines from this article are for in-person conversations mostly in my opinion. A lot of the more difficult information seeking I do is from in-person conversations. I need to be able to communicate effectively, and if that means to get the other person talking by asking question then it is effective. If I really focus on the conversation at hand and wait until he/she is completely finished before offering up my words then the whole situation is much better. Even when I admit being wrong or confused, it usually makes the whole conversation more beneficial.
