Mindfulness encourages you to be aware of the present moment, and to let go of distractions and your physical and emotional reactions to what people say to you. In his 1994 book, ' Wherever You Go, There You Are,' Jon Kabat-Zinn, professor of medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, says mindfulness means "paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally." So, in this article, we explore mindful listening and suggest simple ways you can use this technique to improve your listening skills. When we listen "mindfully," we can be aware of these barriers and still remain open to the speaker's ideas and messages. In today's busy world, it can be hard to shut out distractions such as noise and electronic devices, and our own thoughts or reactions can draw us away from a conversation. How often have you had a conversation with someone, and thought you were paying attention to him or her, only to realize shortly afterwards that you can't remember what he said? Or, perhaps you got distracted while he was speaking and missed the message that he was trying to deliver. If a computer is not essential to the conversation, then leave it behind, or close it.įor more information on communication skills and how to actively listen, check our our guide on how to receive feedback.Listen without judgment or distractions to absorb what is being said. The listener should try not to check their watch or phone, or display signs of paying attention to other things. Hold good eye contact and posture, nodding and smiling will encourage the speaker to continue.Īvoid distracting behaviour - Make sure to avoid looking distracted to help the conversation flow smoothly. Empathy is one of the most important leadership skills to improve on.īody language - To stay engaged and show full attention to the conversation, body language should stay focused on the speaker. The speaker should feel understood in regard to their emotions and frustrations. Asking these questions shows the speaker your interest in the topic.ĭisplay empathy - If the aim of the conversation is to give feedback or share concerns, it’s important to display empathy.
They should be designed to open up more dialogue and discussion. Doing so will also allow the speaker the chance to confirm or expand on any ideas or topics discussed.Īsking open-ended questions - An open-ended question requires an answer more in depth than a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Paraphrasing - Once the speaker has finished, paraphrase the conversation to show your clear understanding. Below, we have highlighted the most important communication skills to work on, both verbally and non-verbally. Improving active listening skillsĪs discussed above, improving listening skills at work will directly benefit the individual and the team. As people work better together, they’ll be able to tackle problems faster and more efficiently, boosting productivity throughout the organisation.
Teams will feel better respected and understood when people are asking relevant questions and paying close attention.Īll this over communication brings us another benefit Better problem-solving skills. When working on projects, it’s best to actively listen to the requests, and then over communicate with questions and work capacity.Īctively listening will also improve collaboration within teams and cross-collaborations. There’s less need to repeat discussions, and less space for misunderstandings. Glossary Find definitions of the most common HR termsĪctive listening can improve so many aspects of daily work and the overall organisation.įirstly, actively listening improves and better maintains working relationships.Guides Elevate your recruiting efforts with our how-to guides.Customer success stories See how we helped companies better attract talent.Recruitment & HR blog Your main source for useful recruitment content.Templates Hire faster and smarter with our free HR templates.Our departments Get to know our departments and how they work.Open positions Ready to make an impact and grow together?.Careers Why you should JOIN our fast-growing HR tech startup.About us Get to know our team and mission.Manage candidates Organise and manage candidates the smart way.Promote job ad Find and target your next great hire on 100+ job boards.Build job ad Creating great job ads has never been easier.Why go premium Increase your visibility on premium job boards.Why it’s free We are on a mission to make hiring better – for all.How it works An intuitive workflow to easily achieve hiring success.
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