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.
Bill, I have also found that communicating is not always about who talks the most but who is the better listener.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the video depicting human evolution in the world. Paricularly the explanantion that humans are soft wired by mirroneurons that makes us feel what someone else is experiencing.
Made me realize that we need to be aware of how we are acting that day can transend to our audience favorably or not.
I think developing and practicing effective listening is a key component of effective personal communication. When an individual takes the time to listen to what the other person is saying, rather than interupting them or zoning out, they will be more capable of developing a valuable response. Thus, as discussed in your article, effective listening is integral to effective communication.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with the article about the importance of being an active listener. I even believe that most successful leaders that perfected communication would have never been able to achieve their goals without the help of their followers being effective listeners. In addition, being an effective listener helps absorbing information in a more effective way and becoming a better communicator by using this information properly.
ReplyDeleteGreat reminder on the importance of listening in the overall process of communication. Good listening usually precedes understanding. Nice post.
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