How Actively Are You Listening?

How Actively Are You Listening?

Most of us have heard that we must be “active listeners” and refrain from being passive listeners. Passive listening in and of itself is not bad, in that passive listening is simply the physical act of hearing. There are many occasions in which we passively listen, such as listening to music, television, podcasts, conferences or webinars, etc. The danger of passive listening is that we can slip into a trance or get distracted to the point where we are not really listening to what is going on and being said.

An active listener on the other hand is seeking to actively engage in the message. The active listener doesn’t necessarily have to engage with the speaker, but they must at least engage their mind and dichotomize the message, reword the message in their own words, formulate questions, and build on the information to create their own understanding.

Imagine a mouse creeping across the field and then all of a sudden, it stops, sticks its head in the air, its nose is twitching and ears are wiggling. You can feel it straining to hear or smell something. On the other side of the field you see a cat trying everything it can to stalk the mouse. At this point, the mouse is actively listening for a predator. What do you call a passively listening mouse? Dinner.

Think back to those individuals that you connected well at networking events and other professional get-togethers. Did you connect with them because they talked a lot, or was it because they seemed genuinely interested in hearing what you had to say? Chances are it was the latter.

In today’s modern information age, the large amounts of data we are inundated with every day affects our ability to truly actively listen. Whether our cell phones distract us, emails or the latest cat and mouse video, we must not let this information overload our minds or bleed into our personal interactions. Challenge yourselves to take a break from electronics for at least 30 minutes (an hour would be better) every day. Take that time to read a book, mediate, or have a real conversation with a colleague.

Can You Hear Me Now???

We have all been there. You need to discuss something with your coworker or employee, but no matter how hard you try to get the point across, they just aren’t listening. Their eyes glaze over, they look confused, they appear distracted, or they simply aren’t paying attention. Dealing with a passive listener can lead to tension in the workplace, as communication suffers and tensions rise.

We have been discussing the importance and skill of active listening in recent posts, and have also touched base on the idea that perception (translating the message) is a huge part of being a good active listener. As good of an active listener that you may be, how do you deal with someone who is a passive listener? (more…)

The Challenge of Active Listening

Most of us have heard that we must be “active listeners” and refrain from being passive listeners. Passive listening in and of itself isn’t bad, in that passive listening is simply listening or to put it another way, hearing. There are many occasions in which we passively listen, such as background music, television in the background, some conferences or webinars, etc. The danger of passive listening is that we can slip into a trance or get distracted to the point where we are not really listening to what is going on and being said. (more…)

Do You Trust Your Employees?

The level of trust between managers and employees can make or break a functional and effective working relationship. When your employees don’t trust you, and when you don’t trust them, job performance is directly affected. In a recent study conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA), it was reported that roughly 52% of the surveyed employees stated that their organizations make them feel valued and appreciated. Employees who feel valued are more motivated to perform at their best and to help build the success of your organization.  (more…)