What Will Make You a Better Listener

I think it’s a good time to review an essential leadership skill: listening.

So often the key to overcoming a difficulty — whether it’s in the workplace or at home — is to stop talking and start listening. I often like to joke that if God had wanted us to talk more than listen, he would have given us two mouths.

Yet few people have mastered the art of listening. Why is this seemingly simple skill so difficult?

Research published by Wendell Johnson in the Harvard Business Review examined one way the listening process goes wrong. Johnson found that because of how our brains work, we think much faster than people talk. As we listen to someone talk, we have time to think of things other than what the person is saying.

As a result, we end up listening to a few thoughts of our own in addition to the words we’re hearing spoken. Usually, we can get back to what the person is saying, but sometimes we listen to our own thoughts too long and miss part of the other person’s message.

To sharpen your listening skills, learn to apply these tips:

Ask Questions

This is not about interrogation or control. Use well-thought-out questions to seek information, opinions, or ideas that will help you understand exactly what is being said. Use open-ended…