Communication- The Key to Success (Part 2)

Many of us were not taught how to listen attentively, but we were just told to listen. Listening is the next part of learning how to effective communicate. Listening is a lost art due to so many people needing to be heard. In business learning to use the skill of active listening must be developed for best results in communicating. Whether communicating with an individual or in a group, here are some tips to enhance your listening skills.

As we see in the picture, the targeted business audience is engaged and listening to the content that is being presented. When in a business setting use these strategies to sharpen your listening skills. 1) Position yourself in relation to the speaker or individual for the best communication exchange (about 1.5 feet to 4 feet in distance. 2) Face the speaker or individual, do not turn your body side-ways,do not cross your arms or legs, and do not slouch. 3) Maintain steady eye contact as much as possible (at least three quarters of the time is sufficient. 4) Attention your focus on what is being spoken to find shared meaning. 5) Repeat back what the speaker or individual has spoken this shows active listening is occurring. These tips can be wrote down and used as you go into group meetings, negotiations, hiring interviews, and client meetings. In what venue could you use these listening tips to improve your skills for listening? Leave a comment and share.