A couple questions for you……
When was the last time someone began to share their story with you and you responded by half-listening?
What was it in that moment that kept you from being fully attentive?
Perhaps you were on a tight schedule.
Perhaps you were preoccupied with your own internal struggle.
Perhaps you simply didn’t care what that person had so say.
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps……the list goes on…..
Listening is the probably the most powerful leadership skill you can develop, but with so many distractions at your disposal, listening is slowly becoming a lost art.
The truth is that if you want to be influential with your work and in life, it starts by being an amazing listener.
Consider this:
When you listen, you build trust and when you build trust, you have influence.
It’s a simple formula and highly effective.
In this week’s video, I share a cool story on how a young woman expressed her frustrations during her first few weeks on the job and how her colleague’s decision to listen to her impacted their company as a whole.
You may be an amazing listener; if so, my encouragement for you today is to keep going.
If you tend to struggle with this skill, my encouragement for you is to create self-awareness when you feel yourself half-listening.
This could be a great opportunity to stay with the conversation and give the other person your undivided attention. Hear what they have to say. Acknowledge them for what they’re saying.
My guess is that it will feel pretty good. Would love to hear how it goes for you!
