How often do you feel that people aren't present when you are talking - or you are not present when someone is talking to you?
Successful people listen carefully. They listen to their peers, they listen to their staffs and they listen to their friends and family.
Listening is an art, and few people know how to do it properly - and how important it is to LISTEN
My mentor Allen Pathmarajah regular points out that LISTEN and SILENT have the same words!
1. BE PRESENT - practice mindfulness! (New buzzword :)) - focus on what another person is saying without getting distracted with your ego or personal agenda. Put your cell phone on mute - and don't look what that message you just received was!
2. ask questions and then listen to the answers.
3. Look directly at the speaker.
How do you feel when you can see how someone is actively listening to what you say?
I instantly warm up to that human! They make me feel special! If you do the same - it is likely that you will develope a stronger bond with that person who is talking to you. That person will feel great that someone is actively listening to what they have to say.
Social media has created the byte sized chunk and short time frames - and often you can fall into the trap of not being present while in a conversation!
In How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie quoted a man speaking of Sigmund Freud: "It struck me so forcibly that I shall never forget him. His eyes were mild and genial. His voice was low and kind. His gestures were few. But the attention he gave me, his appreciation of what I said, even when I said it badly, was extraordinary. You've no idea what it meant to be listened to like that."
if you can master the art of listening, you will become a better leader and business person, develope stronger relationships and become more successful, and people will like and respect you more!