Strategies to Improve Listening Skills in Organizations
One might conclude that just a small number of people, based on regular experiences with various people, are genuinely good listeners. Only a small percentage of people—whether they are friends, family, coworkers, or associates—can be considered to have good listening abilities. As a result, businesses are in need of putting in place certain tactics that will help workers become better listeners. According to Scott (2017), duplication exercises, in which staff members constantly pass messages from one another without changing the original statement's structure or content, not only measure but also improve this skill. The utilization of verbal instruction activities and subsequent task execution is another strategy. The employees can then identify areas of weakness and rectify them. The fact that each person tends to construe verbal information differently means that organizations should utilize the paraphrasing activities and the provision of personal interpretations. Lastly, engaging in improvisation techniques that facilitate the creation of meaningful storylines from listening is equally important.
Boosting Personal Listening Ability
In my point of view, enhancing listening skills must take place at a personal level as well. In fact, Clark (2012) recommends several aspects that can boost the personal listening ability. These strategies include facing the speakers while maintaining eye contact, being attentive, listening without judging or jumping to conclusions as well as visualizing what is being said. Picturing the speaker’s words is also helpful promotes my empathy to and connection with the speaker. Furthermore, unnecessary interruptions should be minimal, and questions should come during pauses or at the end of the speech. The combination of these approaches can not only enhance my mental creations of the message but also facilitate responsiveness based on the speaker’s feelings.
References
Clark, N. F. (2012). 10 steps to effective listening. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/womensmedia/2012/11/09/10-steps-to-effective-listening/#1acf80073891.
Scott, S. (2017). Listening skills activities for the workplace. Chron. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/listening-skills-activities-workplace-22574.html.
