Listen Twice As Much As You Speak
Today we’re continuing our conversation about communication with this key piece of advice, “Listen twice as much as you speak.” Doing this will allow you to learn as much as possible from those around you, keeping yourself open to every opportunity while also creating a mutual sense of respect amongst your fellow employees. And the best kind of listening is active listening: a skill that involves completely focusing on a speaker, fully processing what it is they have to say, understanding it, then responding helpfully. We’ve collected tips from the pros to ensure you’re able to do just that.
For our first trick, we’re turning CEO Elle Kaplan. While her thoughts on the power of active listening in workplace settings may be directed at business leaders, there’s plenty you can learn from her, too. After all, you should be thinking and acting like a leader in your professional environment! Kaplan provides this important tip to active listening: “Resist the urge to think about what to say next. You’ll draw better conclusions after the other person has finished speaking. It takes time to truly understand someone’s meaning — what’s behind the words. Those who you work with will take notice, and you’ll soon have their sincere and valuable trust.” Building up that real trust is an invaluable component of forging a genuine workplace community, one that allows everyone to feel and do their best. Take initiative in creating that community by actively listening to both your bosses and colleagues.
The experts at Indeed offer up both a tip and an example of that advice in action: “Ask open-ended questions. Ask questions that show you’ve gathered the essence of what they’ve shared, and guides them into sharing additional information. Make sure these questions cannot be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Example: ‘You’re right—the onboarding procedure could use some updating. What changes would you want to make to the process over the next six months?’” Asking questions also shows that you care and are committed to producing stellar work that more than meets your organization’s needs, in addition to allowing you to be aware of how your efforts fit into the big picture at your company.
Don’t just passively “hear” those around you–actively listen! Make yourself indispensable to any professional environment by displaying genuine care and attention through your active listening skills. Communication is key. And listening is a key component of communicating! We’ll be back tomorrow with our Wednesday Wellness: Communication edition to help guide you become an even better workplace communicator.
This posting is brought to you by Contemporaries Inc., one of the best temp agencies in Boston MA. Also available for payrolling employees in Boston and Greater Boston
Recent Posts
Monday Mood Booster: Weathering the Storm
Welcome back! While the forecast for this week may have lots overcast days in store, and it might feel easy to let that get you down, remember that it’s thanks to the rain that the spring flowers all around us can blossom even more beautifully. This week, we’re here...
Feel Good Friday: Day by Day
Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of the work week--again! Taking things day to day, week to week, is a helpful way to take the overwhelming task of living in these unprecedented times and break that experience down into smaller, more manageable chunks, much...
Staying Mentally Present at Work Each and Every Day
Given our focus this week on taking things day to day, our suggestions today offer up ways to help you stay mentally present in your workplace, one day at a time. We know that it can be easy to lose focus. Take a moment to acknowledge that. The world offers up plenty...
Monday Mood Booster: Day by Day
Welcome back! As our unprecedented times continue, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the circumstances we’re currently facing. Which is why it’s best to do what we advise doing in your workplace: break obstacles down into smaller pieces. Writing...
Feel Good Friday: Hope
Happy Friday! Today is a great day to find something to celebrate, even something small. Spring is truly here. You can always find inspiration in the changing of seasons, especially now as the sun shines longer and longer each day. Know that it’s okay to find joy...
Navigating New Paths In Your Professional Environment
Part of having hope is being willing to lean into the unknown, knowing you’ll come out the other side. We know you can do it, too! While living in unprecedented circumstances may mean navigating uncharted territories, don’t lose hope. We know that you have the ability...
Wednesday Wellness: Hope
Happy Hump Day! You’ve made it to the middle of the week and you can make it through the rest of what your work week has in store--and anything the world throws your way, in your workplace and beyond. Just as spring provides a chance for new growth after the cold and...
How To Keep Having Hope In Your Workplace
Given our theme this week, today we’ll be examining thoughts from the pros on the value of having hope, both in and out of the workplace. These experts provide methods for moving through your fears, skills you can develop more fully now and bring with you into any...
Monday Mood Booster: Hope
Welcome back! Spring is in the air. Birds are chirping, fresh breezes are blowing, and sunset grows later and later. While there are a lot of changes happening around all of us, it’s important to take time to enjoy these familiar comforts, to find hope amongst the...
Feel Good Friday: Endurance
Happy Friday! You’ve made it to the end of your work week and have just a little bit further to go before you can rest up and recharge over the weekend. Remember that resting is just as important to persevering as engaging in measured action itself. Make sure to also...
Wednesday Wellness: Endurance
You’ve been working hard, whether remotely or on-site (or in seeking new opportunities), throughout the past year as we’ve navigated these unprecedented times. As the time has passed, continuing onwards through more uncertainty might feel overwhelming, but you have...
How To Persevere In Any Work Environment
Today we’re continuing our theme of maintaining your sense of endurance within any professional environment, on-site or remote. As we continue navigating the year mark of our unprecedented times, we know that you might be feeling blue. But you have the strength to...
Monday Mood Booster: Endurance
Welcome back! With the need to adjust to daylight savings time happening alongside tackling a year of unprecedented circumstances, right now it may feel like you’re running a marathon. Remember that life is always a marathon rather than a sprint, and that just as...
Feel Good Friday: Communication
You’ve made it to the end of the week! As work draws to a close, be sure to continue thinking about how your clear communication can serve as a source of inspiration and resilience. Know that it’s okay to not be a perfect speaker right off the bat; it’s a skill to be...