Listening is a subtle art. It requires us to incorporate body language, some silence, a couple of facial expressions, verbal cues to show we’re actively listening and at times, repeating what has been said verbatim, just to show how well we’ve been following. Then again, there is much more involved than just these subsets.
Given that speech is one of the oldest forms of communication known to man, having great conversation skills is of the essence. Conversing involves both the talking and listening aspects. People get to appreciate us more once they get to establish that we are just as keen to hear what they have to say to us, as we want to pass on our thoughts to them. It is a two-way street.
Listening is an essential skill we all need to learn. By listening, we get to perceive others’ ideas through their own world. Understanding their school of thought ensures that we can relate to whatever is said. So, in order to foster good listening skills, what do we need?
It’s all about Location
If we’re looking to be a bit more productive at work, sometimes it is best to step out of the office a bit. This is because there are numerous distractions in the office spaces that tend to deter us from achieving our primary objective of efficiency.
Meetings would be much more productive if they were held in settings where both parties felt right at home. No smartphones, office chatter, ringing phones, and paperwork stashed ready for us to take action.
Instead, planning our meetings in restaurants and other public spaces makes much more sense. Such settings allow us to first establish a level of trust to divulge into less important stuff before kicking off to the core objectives. Incredibly, most people come to realize that they are able to establish a level of friendship with their clientele that tends to bring in more business in the future.
Platonic relationships breed a sense of trust. It’s just the way humans are wired to function. It’s also probably the reason social media has been so effective in the modern age. The way we are able to interact without restrictions helps greatly. The only concern would have to be that we somehow got lost in the maze. It seems we forget the basics of having good conversations.
Curiosity
Cats may have a need to be wary of being a bit too curious. However, for humans, it is perfectly natural to promote curiosity in conversations. Injecting a dose of curiosity in listeners and speakers alike helps them ask question midway through conversations. By dispensing well-thought arguments and seeing acknowledgment in the other partner, we get to foster stronger working ties with fellow partners.
Having a silent audience that simply nods and agrees with everything is a sure fire way for boredom to creep in. When it does, it hampers work progression. In settings where people actively engage in the subject matter, they get to delve and wade into the intricacies of everything that appertains.
Building Self Esteem
Good listeners have the trait of supporting the speakers by making them feel they have their trust. By conveying trust, it helps in building confidence in the other party. Confidence allows us to get comfortable and give in-depth conversations without hesitation.
Speaking directly to someone without any barriers holding us back allows us to flex creative muscles in the conversation. Freedom of speech harbors suggestions being brought to the table. Suggestions are essential since they are a form of feedback. They let listeners know that they would like certain things done in a specific fashion. Once we decide to meet their suggestions, a closer relationship emerges.