Listen to Learn: 9 Areas to Focus for Success

“If you’re not listening, you’re not learning.”

— Lyndon B. Johnson

Interviewing is so imperative to investigations, auditing, and so many areas of our professional lives. Interviewing is also a subject that garners a great deal of scientific research.? Research shows that many areas of pseudo-science and folklore that have been a part of interviewing instruction need to be gone.

I am examining everything I teach to ensure that none of that “old” stuff and pseudo-science exists in my curriculum.? One area that doesn’t change much and is still a shortcoming in our interviews is the topic of listening.? It isn’t just in the realm of interviewing but seems to be everywhere now a days.

Many people seek to improve their communication and interview skills. They want to be better questioners. They want to be better at presenting evidence. They often ignore something equally important. Listening. Build good listening skills, and you will improve your relationships, enjoy more success, and improve your knowledge base. Here is a non-exhaustive list of tips to help you develop your listening skills. Even if your skills are good, they should always be examined and improved.

1.???? Actively Focus Your Energy It might sound silly, but becoming a better listener starts with listening better. You must actively focus on listening and understanding the people in your life. This means focusing all your energy on what you are trying to listen to and then ensuring understanding of what you are hearing.

2.???? Don't Judge or Jump to Conclusions The person who gets the most out of what someone says listens without judgment. They don't jump to conclusions because they believe they know what the person will say next. Focus on listening to what a person is telling you rather than judging to a conclusion that hasn't yet been spoken. Part of listening well means being aware of your biases and keeping them in check. Remember that your job is never to be the judge, but to only be the mediator of the truth.

3.???? Schedule Listening Practice If you want to get better at anything, you need to practice. This is true if you want to brush up on your listening skills. Pull out your day planner or set an alert on your phone. Take the time to schedule listening practice. This practice can be with a friend, interacting with people in restaurants or stores, or even listening to a podcast.

4.???? Fully Engage In The Moment Whether it's a smartphone, laptop, or simply wandering thoughts, it's essential to put them aside when someone is speaking. By being present in the moment, you show respect to the speaker and are more likely to absorb and understand their message. If you think you can multi-task, you are probably right, but you do everything subpar, especially listening.

“People don’t listen to understand. They listen to reply. The collective monologue is everyone talking and no one listening. ”

—?Stephen R. Covey

5.???? Try Not to Interrupt Becoming a better listener is all about prioritizing the speaker. Sometimes, we're all guilty of interrupting people while they are speaking. It just happens. This is not only rude, but it will also negatively impact your ability to process important information. There are few things that will interfere with getting the maximum amount of truthful information in an interview like interrupting. Hold your questions.

6.???? Take Notes The physical act of writing something down improves recall. It helps you remember what the person said later. Also, when you take notes, you have to listen carefully. This is also a great way to jot down questions for later - instead of interrupting the speaker.

?7.???? Paraphrase And Summarize After the speaker finishes their point or pauses, briefly summarize or restate what they said in your own words. This not only demonstrates that you've been paying attention but also gives the speaker a chance to clarify if there was any misunderstanding. This involvement also strengthens rapport and builds trust.

8.???? Ask Open Ended Questions Sometimes, good listening requires you to speak. Instead of questions that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no," pose questions that encourage deeper conversation and show you're genuinely interested in understanding their perspective. We learn so much more when we invest in good questions.

9.???? Don't Forget To Empathize With The Speaker Try to understand the emotions and motivations behind what the other person is saying. This doesn't necessarily mean you must agree, but understanding their perspective fosters better communication. This also helps keep your mind open and provides more opportunities to learn. Empathy and ensuring understanding are essential to successful relationship building and effective interviewing.

Improving communication and interviewing isn't just about asking better questions and more effectively presenting evidence; it's equally important to develop strong and consistent listening skills.

Effective listening enhances relationships, fosters success, and expands knowledge.

?Here are key tips for honing listening skills: actively focus on listening, avoid judging or jumping to conclusions, schedule listening practice, fully engage in the moment, avoid interrupting, take notes, paraphrase and summarize, ask open-ended questions, and empathize with the speaker.

Quick action steps include jotting down key points after conversations, dedicating time to focused listening, and pausing before responding to ensure thoughtful communication. When it comes to quality listening have you considered whether you are handling this subject effectively or not? Or do you care about good listening enough to make changes (see a few weeks past blog on having passion)? ?Do you plan for opportunities to practice and demonstrate good listening in investigations and audits? If not, why not?? We always need to improve our communication and interviewing skills and listening is a major component.

Anderson Investigative Associates is positioned to custom-tailor training to your specific needs.? If you have any questions or would like to discuss the above subject of quality listening and how to handle it or any training need, please reach out.? Additional issues pertaining to interviewing, auditing, and investigations can be found in other blogs and videos that we have produced and are contained in most blocks of instruction that our company presents.

If you have additional questions, comments, or have an interview topic you would like me to address, give me a shout.? In the meantime, be well, stay safe out there, and find a way to start listening better….it will change many aspects of your life. Final Note: You have two ears and one mouth for a reason, so try listening twice as much as you speak.

Mark A. Anderson

Director of Training and Development

Anderson Investigative Associates, llc

114 Loucks Avenue

Scottdale, PA 15683

[email protected]

tel:912-571-6686

www.AndersonInvestigative.com

https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/mark-a-anderson-a46a1658