What do you do if your leadership communication lacks impact due to poor listening skills?

To be honest, active listening as a skill wasn't something we were aware of when we started. I believe this is a new development and a very important one at that. Now that we know it, we need to accept that we must practice it. Listening with intent to the other party always makes them feel good and thereby helps in building trust and relationship.

Self-Awareness: Recognize and acknowledge that your listening skills may need improvement. Understand the importance of active listening in effective communication and leadership. Continuous Improvement: Commit to lifelong learning and continuous improvement in your listening skills. Practice regularly, seek feedback, and adapt your approach based on the needs and preferences of your team members and stakeholders.

"I'm listening. Go ahead. Oh, you said it already?"?? We believe we're good listeners, yet most of us have never received formal training in listening. Recognizing that poor listening skills can impact relationships & how others perceive us is a crucial 1st step. But changing our approach isn't as simple as intending to listen more/better; it requires overriding habits. Our ability to listen can be hindered by a busy mind focused on formulating responses rather than engaging deeply. Effective communication = productive conversations that consider the impact on the other person. ?? During conversations, what are you listening for? Psst! This reveals how you think. Ex: Are you seeking evidence to support or refute your own views/beliefs?

The first and foremost thing would be to embark on a journey of self-awareness. Understand your blind spots and the reasons that are stopping you from communicating effectively. What are you doing and not doing as an effective communicator that is hindering your listening skills? You can seek the services of an experienced coach who may partner with you to unlock your hidden potential and help you become a better, more mindful, and more active listener.

Very true. We ourselves don't see our back or our flaws. Hence after being aware about the need to develop Active listening as a skill, we must take honest feedback from colleagues or friends if we have been able to inculcate the habit and improve upon ourselves.

Practice makes perfect (even if perfect does not exist, it improves things). My very personal suggestions are: 1. always have a list of generic open questions at hand that you can ask to ensure comprehension 2. prepare for the 1to1s with your team more carefully, let them decide the schedule and the topic and ensure they have their topic in the agenda for the day at least one day prior (this way you can prepare more specific questions) 3. approach practicing active listening as a sport training, if today you can do 2 push ups, aim to do 10 by the end of the week. Same goes to active listening, give it time, if now it is hard to ask open question, aim to ask at least 1 open question per meeting or chat this week, and 2 next one.

In sales, we often listen to reply and just can't wait for the other to finish before unleashing ourselves. Awareness is the first step to develope the skills of Active listening. Practice is the next, we need to consciously control our urge to talk. We also need to change our mindset from selling mode to helping the customer find the best solution to his needs. Once these 3 are aligned, active listening with an intent to understand the customer's pain points to be able to give them the best possible solution will become second nature and will also help boost the sales numbers. Hope it helps.

Don't think about what you're going to say when it's your turn to listen; it's too difficult to mentally rehearse while listening.?Pay complete attention to what the other person is saying. Finally, remember what is being said, even if it seems dull or unimportant. Research shows that we generally only listen with about 25% efficiency. This means that?about three-quarters?of spoken communication is lost on the average person.Listening is seen as the most important part of effective communication because it?helps people understand each other better. When we truly listen, we show respect and empathy, making others feel valued. This improves relationships and collaboration, leading to better problem-solving and fewer misunderstandings.

"Of course I'm present! I'm here, aren't I ?!" ?? Many of us recognize that typing an email or checking our phones while listening is akin to multitasking, which is not effective and can make the other person feel disregarded. While we can usually eliminate obvious distractions to focus our attention on the speaker, our minds may still be preoccupied with thoughts of our response. Achieving true presence requires both undivided attention and a quiet mind, akin to mindfulness practice. While not necessary for every conversation, it can be incredibly beneficial in certain moments. Being fully present while listening allows you to hear more than just the words spoken; you can uncover underlying issues and show genuine interest to the speaker.

While it's true that distractions abound in our modern lives, effective listening doesn't always necessitate complete detachment from electronic devices or interruptions. Different individuals have varying capacities to process information, and sometimes, multitasking can enhance comprehension rather than detract from it. Additionally, demonstrating understanding and empathy through active engagement can build rapport, irrespective of the degree of technological involvement.

While fostering trust and openness can be valuable, effective leadership communication also involves setting clear expectations and boundaries to maintain productivity and focus. Encouraging diverse perspectives is important, but leaders must balance this with the need for decisive action and direction. Ultimately, a healthy balance of openness and structure promotes innovation and teamwork in a dynamic environment.

While reflection is valuable, fixating solely on listening skills overlooks the multifaceted nature of effective communication. Prioritizing active engagement and adapting to diverse communication styles also contribute significantly to leadership effectiveness. Ultimately, focusing solely on listening may neglect other crucial aspects of communication competency.