In a leadership position or not, you, as a professional, are a “pro” at your craft.
But being “pro” at your craft is just the beginning. You need to listen as effectively as you are flawless in your craft.
CCL’s Michael Hoppe has authored this excellent book that can improve your Active Listening Skills.
Michael has described six skills that contribute to an active listening mindset:
1) Paying attention: Listening begins with paying attention. No attention, no listening.
2) Holding judgment: Seek first to understand and then to judge.
3) Reflecting: Don’t agree or disagree; just reflect by paraphrasing key points.
4) Clarifying: Clarify when you don’t understand something you think you should.
5) Summarizing: Restate key themes and summarize the crux of the matter. Ask others to do the same to reach the same ground.
6) Sharing: Sharing requires being comfortable with being vulnerable. Share your personal experience based on the same theme or the crux of the matter, and you will show that you have listened to what matters.
No matter how great you are as a professional, if you lack listening skills, sooner or later, you will face less than desired results.
The professional listens; you could, too!
