Learning to listen

Nov 30, 2007 | blog, leadership

I’ll tell you one of the most important & introspective lessons I’m learning: it’s listening to what people say.  It’s a critical one that many of us find ourselves in the middle of when working on our personal improvement strategies.

While I’ve only really become aware of my own efforts to improve my listening abilities, I figured out that I’ve been subconsciously working on this for some time.  Don’t know exactly what triggered it to come to the surface, but it did – and makes a great deal of sense.

What’s also interesting to me is the effort involved in learning this skill.  It’s so at odds with how we’ve I’ve processed information when listening to others in the past.  To actually absorb the real meaning, the underlying urgency, the true understanding is what I’m after.  Whether it be a friend, coworker, or spouse it is crucial that we really understand what is being communicated.

It may be one of the most difficult things a person can undertake to improve their "soft" skills.  It also will go a long way to help you reach your goals.  Just like many other aspects of personal improvement, this skill is also critical to you if you’re working on your personal brand.

The ability to listen is a trait that people remember.  This is an important piece of your reputation and is part of what makes up your brand.  You want people to remember things about you, and having people remember that you listen to their requirements, listen to what’s important to them, listen to their concerns is a big one.

How else can we provide value to others when only a portion of what they’re talking about is listened to?

I mentioned at the beginning that this is a skill that I’m "learning" – I’ll never learn it all.  I’m constantly finding out how to listen better, and I’d like to know your tips.  What more is there to this – I’d love to hear from you.  Do you have tips, stories, or examples of how to improve one’s ability to listen?  I’m all ears. 😀