Easy to say, hard to do.
Good listening requires us to put aside our prejudices and preconceptions until we have collected all the information we need to respond.
But in the background, our inner voice speaks to us and demands that we respond in various guises, be it the ‘expert’, (I need to say something very clever right now), the ‘competitor’, (I need to show that I am ‘better, smarter’), the ‘judge’ (judging not only the other person, but ourselves), or the ‘dreamer’ (spinning far out of orbit with ideas).
All of this stops us from listening.
Listening is a multi-sensory activity, not restricted to sounds and language but embracing body language and silence too. The key here is the ability to play in the space between listening and responding to what you hear.
Learning to control or master these instincts and motivations is so very hard to do. But if you achieve it, if you improve your listening skills, the benefits are substantial. Not least in your interactions with new business prospects, clients, and colleagues.
Great leaders have many outstanding qualities and one of these is undoubtedly being a good listener.
Interested in learning more about listening better? Then join our next Early Worm Club on 2nd March.
Early Worm Club: 2nd March
How To Master Your Listening Skills
An interactive session on how to improve your active listening skills with our guest speaker, Lizzie Palmer.
For more information and to book your place, please click here