Active listening essential for career advancement
There have been dozens of studies and white papers about the importance of listening, and the percentage of what is said is actually remembered by the person or persons you’re speaking with.
While the experts disagree over numbers and complexities of the listening process, they universally agree that listening skills are vital, especially to career advancement. It helps us navigate through difficult conversations, helps improve communication, builds a better understanding, and ultimately leads to better relationships with coworkers, family and friends.
Medium.com, a website that explores new ideas and concepts of thinking, reports that people remember 10% of what they hear, 20% of what they read, and 80% of what they see. And it’s because the human brain processes visual cues better than it does written language.
The University of the People (www.uopeople.edu), a nonprofit, tuition-free, accredited, online, American university, said that listening and hearing are very different.
It goes on to say that our bodies naturally hear sounds, but it requires mental action to listen for understanding. Also consider that we can listen passively without attention or we can listen actively, which is the basis of relationship-building.
So, there’s a big difference between active vs. passive listening. Active listening is important because from professional settings to personal relationships, communication requires active listening.
Simply, active listening is a soft skill that directs the focus from what’s in your head to the words coming from the outside. By being able to focus on what another person is saying, you can understand needs and information more accurately.
Active listening requires not interrupting; summarization; repeating what you hear back; and picking up on body language.
Active listening is essential In building a successful career, say University of the People researchers, because it takes attention to both the big picture and small details to learn. When you actively listen, your employer can see the difference in your responses and work that follows.
Take the interview process, the first place in your career where active listening plays a major role. By paying close attention and making eye contact with the interviewer, job candidates can demonstrate that they are interested in the position, can help problem-solve, and can work well in a team.
Active listening techniques
The University of the People offers the following examples of active listening techniques and responses that can be used in job interviews and on the job.
• Build trust. An example is when an interviewer explains challenges that the business is facing, you might respond with, “How can I help?” or
“How does the company measure success?”
• Demonstrate concern. When a potential employer explains challenges the company is facing, you should express concern by saying, “This must be a difficult challenge to deal with. What is being done to cope with it?”
• Non-verbal cues. Active listening doesn’t always require words. Body language also plays an important part. For example, by making eye contact and nodding your head you are saying a lot without speaking.
• Wait to talk. In any setting, interrupting people is considered rude. It’s best to wait to talk until you’ve heard everything before sharing your opinions.
• Ask questions. Whether it’s on the job or in interviews, asking questions expresses your curiosity. It’s an opportunity to ask questions, such as “What are the next steps?” or “Can I contact you or wait to hear back?”
• Share similar experiences. By listening followed by sharing similar situations with those you are speaking to, you can connect on a deeper level, and leave a lasting impression.
• Paraphrase. A smart technique is to rephrase what you hear in your own words to demonstrate that you’re listening, remembering details and that you understand the employer’s needs.
• Brief affirmations. Whether it’s an interview or working on the job, brief affirmations permit someone to know where you stand. If an employer has taken the time to speak with you, you might mention your gratitude in a brief affirmation. For instance, “I appreciate your taking the time to speak with me.”
Simply, active listening is a soft skill that directs the focus from what’s in your head to the words coming from the outside. By being able to focus on what another person is saying, you can understand needs and information more accurately.