"What we have here is a failure to communicate!"

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The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place – George Bernard Shaw

Your life—and your leadership—succeeds or fails based on your meaningful interactions with others.

The quality of your conversations changes everything.

In our lives we’ve likely had many communication failures: mixed messages, unspoken needs or desires, inability to deal with confrontation, saying?yes?when we mean?no.

We’ve had times when we don’t get what we want because we haven’t expressed ourselves clearly, or we’ve misinterpreted others’ communication. Sometimes we simply did not listen.

Improving your listening and communication skills is akin to developing athletic skills.?

You push through pain and discomfort to discover your strengths. Exercise your ability to ask open-ended questions that encourage others to provide their reasoning, to broaden your understanding.

No doubt you have had thousands of conversations during your lifetime. Think of conversations that had an important impact on your life, good or bad. Did they leave you feeling inspired or confused? Challenged? Do you wish you had said something more meaningful, or addressed the real issues at hand? Did you shy away from appearing confrontational?

Counterintuitive though it may be, to communicate effectively, you must first be a strong listener

I often begin presentations by saying, “What you’re about to learn you may have heard before; but this time, maybe you’ll actually?listen?to what’s being said.”

I am not berating the audience. I am pointing out that we frequently miss the point of the message because of the noise in our heads. We may hear but not really?listen.

Listening is THE most important aspect of communication.

Frequently, your brain is making more noise than the sound coming through your ears. You’re often too distracted, busy with your thoughts, or time-stressed to pay full attention to the person in front of you.

Multitasking is distracted listening.

If you are giving instructions, divided attention can lead to muddled communication and frustration. Lack of clarity can produce disastrous results.

Everyone needs to be seen and heard to feel valued. Great listening skills builds trust and relationships and foster insight.

We frequently don’t listen to understand. We listen to reply

Genuine listening requires?being present?with the other person and giving your full attention to what they are saying. Listening to understand. Listening to know how to respond. Listening in order to give proper feedback.

Listening is about others.?

It’s about giving people attention, respecting their time, and clearing our heads of our own agendas. People look for cues that you’re listening to what they’re saying: body language, leaning in, making eye contact, nodding. Not interrupting. Listening for what’s being said rather than what you think you want to hear.

Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.?–Benjamin Franklin

Being open and curious is critical to listening and understanding others.

Admitting—to yourself and to others—that there are more things you?don’t?know than what you?do?know is a major first step.

?You don’t have all the answers. Open-ended questions allow you to explore others’ reasoning and thought processes and then share your own, which can lead to fresh, collaborative perspectives and ideas.

There are four levels of listening to consider:

Level 1

We’re egocentric, concerned with our own thoughts and the need to express them. We?hear?what the other person is saying but don’t really?listen. We are planning how to respond or are anxious for our side of the story to be heard. We interrupt the other’s thinking to express our ideas or we oppose their ideas without waiting for them to finish. Conversations become a ping-pong match of one-upmanship. This is not true listening.

Level 2

We focus on what someone is saying and demonstrate support. We lean in, make eye contact, smile and nod, murmur agreement. The conversation is warm and inviting. We allow the person to finish speaking and assure them we’ve heard by paraphrasing some of the conversation and asking for confirmation that we fully understood. This is?active listening.

Level 3

We can go further. In level three listening, we show empathy for the other person to let them know we’re truly listening and we care. We share stories that support the conversation. We demonstrate mutual understanding, which builds trust.?This empathy helps people feel they belong, one of the three fundamental human needs.

Level 4

Listening becomes an art form.

1. We listen to what’s?not?being said.
2. We listen to the tone of voice.
3. We listen for gaps in what’s said and explore what’s behind their words with curiosity.
4. We ask open-ended questions to drive the conversation to a deeper level.?

This kind of listening is?collaborative and?intuitive.

We get a feel for what’s going on and test it by asking questions. We express empathy and consider the other person’s perspectives. We validate the other’s thought processes and actively involve them in decision making.

I built my reputation as a coach on listening well. I develop trust with clients by giving them my whole attention. I demonstrate understanding of their challenges by sharing my own stories and offering anecdotal advice to move forward. My goal is that my clients feel not only seen and heard but?understood.

When your team builds that kind of listening and communicative trust, possibilities are endless, opportunities open up, and great things can happen!

?Jacqueline Wales is the author of The Fearless Factor, The Fearless Factor @ Work, When The Crow Sings, and The Fearless Factor Women Leading The Way to be published in 2023.

I have explored human behavior and asked tough questions to discover hard truths for more than 35 years and is a trusted advisor to high-achieving women who helps her clients take accountability for their actions and responsibility for their decisions to achieve remarkable results.

My programs include?

• Individual Coaching
• Transformational Strategies for Success : A self-directed online coaching program?
• Inner Game Mastermind : a small carefully curated group coaching and mastermind program

I am also available to speak to groups and corporate events on why fear matters to your success.?To learn more visit my speaker website