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Listening Skills Articles
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- Just Because You Are “Listening” Doesn’t Mean Your People Feel “Heard” - by Submitted on Aug 23, 2011 from Skip WeismanThe very first project I ever worked on to improve leadership and workplace communication, I did the only thing I knew how to do in starting the project. That was to gather information from team members. In interview after interview, I heard the same lament. It sounded like this, “we’ve had a ...
Views: 2231(1 vote) - It’s What You Don’t Know that Hurts - by Submitted on Aug 23, 2011 from Cari ColeIt’s funny how easy it is to fool ourselves – to ignore the “elephants in your room.” I can’t tell you how many people tell me they know about the elephants in their room. I had a girl come up to me at The Bitter End the other day, she’s one of my Twitter followers, (who I’d never actually met ...
Views: 1947 - Are You Open to Learning - by Submitted on Aug 21, 2011 from Loren FogelmanUnless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow. Ronald E. Osborn Do you know of an athlete who “knows it all?” For each suggestion there is a response. Primarily to position them, in their eyes, as “been there, done that.” Those are the uncoachable ...
Views: 1959 - Employee Motivation: A Secret Society? - by Submitted on Aug 11, 2011 from Karen KleinwortMotivation is a key ingredient to success. This is not a news flash by any means, and all managers and good leaders embrace some degree of motivational program for their employees; whether they do this consciously or subconsciously, they all do it. Motivation is not some secret society either, ...
Views: 2227(1 vote) - The Power of the Inner Voice - by Submitted on Aug 09, 2011 from Norma HollisConnecting with Your Inner Voice Norma T. Hollis Do you listen to your inner voice? This is the voice that speaks within you that no one hears except you. Each person has one. Some recognize it and some don’t. Some are even frightened of the voice. But it’s a voice that is your friend and ...
Views: 7219(1 vote) - Meditation Basics - Learning How to Listen to That Silence Within - by Submitted on Jul 29, 2011 from Thadddeus FergusonIt truly is amazing how every Spiritual book you read can be broken down into simply saying be still within. No doubt about it be still within can be experienced through the practice of meditation and learning how to listen to that silence within. In the Bible, it speaks of how God is always ...
Views: 1974 - Effective Listening - Don't Just Hear Your Employees, Listen... - by Submitted on Jul 26, 2011 from Mark Marhon JrA staff's productivity and efficiency depend on good communication. Good communication depends on effective listening. Listening is not simply hearing, but a process of understanding and correctly interpreting a message from another. Effective listening is a difficult task as listeners ...
Views: 1998 - Be Quick to Listen and Slow to Speak - by Submitted on Jul 21, 2011 from cedric riceBe Quick to Listen and Slow to Speak One of the hard lessons that I have learned in life is that it is good most of the time to just keep your mouth shut. That was a hard lesson for me because of my temperament. I used to feel that I had to have the last word in every conversation or ...
Views: 2771 - Real estate in Toronto - by Submitted on Jul 19, 2011 from Christina XioToronto is a well known Canadian city that is situated in Ontario. It is a very beautiful city full of natural sceneries scattered all over the city. It is one of the most populous cities in Canada and has a lot of facilities. The city is developing very quickly and the population is also ...
Views: 2020(3 votes) - When Someone at Work Has a Grudge Against You - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2011 from Dr. Rick KirschnerYou know the old adage about letting sleeping dogs lie? It doesn’t apply to people with grudges, who may actually become more difficult from stewing in their angry juices about whatever sleight or injury they’ve pinned on you. Not every problem with people can be resolved. Some people are ...
Views: 4710 - Turning Stress into Customer Service Success - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2011 from Dr. Rick KirschnerNo question about it: You can’t please all the people all the time! And because you’re a professional, it’s understandable that your negative experiences with customers are a source of concern for you. Yet customer stress is a leading cause of employee stress in both sales and service! The ...
Views: 1661 - Improving Customer Service on the (Telephone) Line - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2011 from Dr. Rick KirschnerTechnology, in the form of phones and computers, has become a kind of ubiquitous front door for customers to use any time and any place where they have the desire for a product or service. At least in theory, technology gives customers a more personal help desk than they are likely to find face ...
Views: 1772 - Meeting the Challenge of Challenging Customers - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2011 from Dr. Rick KirschnerYou know who they are: Vague customers that can’t make up their minds, who seem to have all day to take up your time; pushy customers whose demands can’t be met, who angrily demand ‘What? It’s not ready yet?’ Whining customers for whom nothing is right, who can find something wrong with ...
Views: 1652 - How to Click with People on the Phone - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2011 from Dr. Rick KirschnerTelephone. Tell a phone. There are times when I get the feeling I’m talking to a phone instead of over the phone. Incoming telemarketing calls don’t allow for meaningful connections. And by all reports, cold calls are another example of missed opportunities. Yet there’s no question that you can ...
Views: 1625(1 vote) - Empathic Listening Techniques: How To Listen With Your Heart - by Submitted on Jun 01, 2011 from Michael LeeBy using empathic listening techniques, you will be able to hear a lot more than what a person is saying. In fact, you'll actually "hear" if a person is holding something back or if they are simply overcompensating for something. To develop your empathic listening skills and apply them for ...
Views: 2995 - Executive Challenge #10: “At my level, I rarely get honest feedback, so how do I know what I need to improve?” - by Submitted on May 28, 2011 from Brenda BenceMany years ago, a mentor of mine told me something very profound. I asked him what it was that kept certain managers moving up the corporate ladder while others stopped. What he said has never left me. He told me that those leaders who did not progress to the top stopped being coachable. A ...
Views: 1985 - Meeting Needs with NVC - by Submitted on May 21, 2011 from Karen KleinwortThere’s no one on the planet who hasn’t been in a situation wherein tempers and/or emotions escalated – perhaps even dramatically – due to miscommunication or poor communication. When this has happened in your own life, you’ve likely looked back on it afterwards and wondered how things got so ...
Views: 1769(1 vote) - Want Better Results? Have Better Conversations - by Submitted on May 24, 2011 from Elizabeth FreedmanWhat would it mean to your business if…. Sales professionals had better conversations with prospects? Leaders had better conversations with clients? Managers had better conversations with their teams? Employees had better conversations with each other? It isn’t any secret that it makes ...
Views: 1548 - Being Heard - by Submitted on May 20, 2011 from Jonathan M FlaksI have a client who runs a business and has two people working in his main office. They weren't answering the phones with the level of energy that he considered representative and efficient. He had frequently asked them to change their behavior, but he didn't seem to get through to them. ...
Views: 1714 - A Lifetime of Listening - by Submitted on May 13, 2011 from Jonathan M FlaksAbout 12 years ago, I met a 75 year old man in a coaching class on listening. That man was one of the best listeners I've encountered in my life. I could tell by the things he said and asked. At the end of the class when we were all reviewing what we had learned, he said, “Boy, I have ...
Views: 1602 - Foundations for Great Conversations - by Submitted on May 13, 2011 from Samantha JohnsonGreat conversations are built on a foundation of awareness, which includes: Emotional intelligence: an awareness of emotions in oneself and others that helps people navigate situations. Motivators: values, which inform what people want to talk about. Style: how people approach ...
Views: 1911 - Say What? Is a Hearing Loss in Your Future? - by Submitted on May 12, 2011 from Diane DirestaOne in 10 Americans has a loss of hearing. It can begin as early as age 20. Hearing declines significantly after age 40. The baseline or threshold for normal hearing is 0 decibels. A decibel (dB) is a measure of sound pressure level. The higher the decibel, the louder the noise. The pain ...
Views: 1441(1 vote) - Make yourself valuable to others - by Submitted on May 07, 2011 from Jacque MillerMake yourself valuable to others When I think about the basics of networking three things come to mind: What do I want? How do I get there/it? And how do I make myself valuable? If you know the answers to these three questions then you are probably well on your way to networking your way to ...
Views: 4815(2 votes) - Is Being a “Mind Reader” Part of Your Organization’s Job Descriptions? - by Submitted on Apr 27, 2011 from Skip WeismanThe Law of Specificity States: “To the degree that you are not specific in your communication that is the level of guessing or mind-reading the receiver of your message needs to do.” If people in your organization feel like they have to continually guess what is expected of them, or ...
Views: 1518 - Listen Up! Bolster Your Relationships in 4 Steps. - by Submitted on Apr 26, 2011 from Monica StrobelThe first duty of love is to listen. Paul Tillich What was the first thing you did the last time your child came to you with a problem? Of course we want to help them. Do you jump in and console, interpret, advise or distract? Other times, we feel we have to teach our children, and so we ...
Views: 1721 - How to Develop Listening Skills - by Submitted on Apr 19, 2011 from Liz UramWhat does it mean to listen effectively? It means that you are in the moment and open to the message that is coming your way. When you are listening effectively you are receiving, interpreting, and responding appropriately to the message that is being given. The type of response required, or ...
Views: 2544 - A Teacher’s Philosophy - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Karen KleinwortPart of my own personal philosophy is that we carry the energy of both “student” and “teacher” within us, and depending on the experience or situation in which we find ourselves, one of these two energies becomes primary. We invoke our inner teacher when we have the need to pass along our ...
Views: 1984 - "What Side of the Ball Do You Want to Play On?" The Importance of Listening - by Submitted on Apr 12, 2011 from Jeff BealsAt the beginning of 1991, Marshall Faulk was a wanted man - wanted by many of the nation's most prestigious football schools. He had just finished a stellar senior season as a star high school player in New Orleans, and college coaches were camped outside his front door 24/7. Faulk had a ...
Views: 1468 - The Best Information Comes From Short Questions - by Submitted on Apr 08, 2011 from Mark HunterThere's no better way to improve the quality of information you receive from a potential customer than by asking short questions. We all can recall far too many times when we've sat across the table from a customer we're trying to help – and we know we can help, if they would just provide us ...
Views: 1337 - How to Know Who to Coach - by Submitted on Mar 13, 2011 from Dr. Rick SchaeferIf you are reading this, you are open to learning. If you are open to learning, you most likely have desire to teach others as well. As coaches and teachers, we so much want to help people. We hear them mention something and suddenly we really want to share with them all of the wisdom we have ...
Views: 1705(5 votes) - The Most Powerful Parts of Communication - by Submitted on Mar 12, 2011 from Cheryl HitchcockWhen most people think about communication, it’s about the words and phrases that are spoken in a conversation. However, another important part of communication is the role of body language and gut feelings. In fact, over 80% of what you say to others is through facial expressions alone. ...
Views: 2403(1 vote) - The Art of Effective Listening - by Submitted on Mar 12, 2011 from cedric riceSome people are effective listeners and some are not. The difference between being a good listener and a bad one lies in the way that you interact with the speaker. A good listener is intimate with the speaker in that he or she listens on a whole different level. An average listener will hear ...
Views: 2974(1 vote) - How to Be a Good Listener - by Submitted on Feb 23, 2011 from Nelson BerryBy The Pioneer of Subliminal Messages Online. What does it take to be a good listener? A lot. That’s’ why there are many who cannot qualify for one. To make sure that you can definitely lend an ear to a friend and allow him to feel so much better, discover the ways on how to be a good ...
Views: 1591 - Make Your Point! - by Submitted on Feb 19, 2011 from William CottringerMake Your Point! By Bill Cottringer “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” ~George Bernard Shaw. Consider the beginning of communication: We first invented words to stand for objects we couldn’t carry around on our shoulders to show ...
Views: 1764(2 votes) - Where's the Connective Flow? - by Submitted on Feb 07, 2011 from Vera SnowWhere’s the Connective Flow? With so many things shifting in our world today, it’s hard not to get carried away with political rhetoric, fear, anxiety, etc. So often, in times such as these, it’s easy to just want to control your own little piece of the world and micro-manage all that comes ...
Views: 1293(1 vote) - Property Auction- Free Interesting Guide For Auction - by Submitted on Feb 05, 2011 from Bruce McLaughlinThe different sorts of online auction is straight auction, reserve auction, Dutch auction, personal auction, overstock auction. An english auction online is known as as absolute auction, rising price auction, English auction, forward auction, reserve price auction, standard auction, Yankee ...
Views: 1031 - Networking While You Eat - by Submitted on Feb 04, 2011 from paige arnof-fennAt a late morning meeting recently with a fellow entrepreneur, as we were wrapping up I mentioned my next meeting had been postponed and asked if he had time to grab a bite to eat and he responded how lucky I was to “afford the luxury of lunch.” His comment made me realize that life and ...
Views: 1267(1 vote) - Listening Is a Top Leadership Skill - by Submitted on Dec 15, 2010 from Hugh BallouDoug Lawrence has written a blog titled 7 Questions for your worship point person... at Church Central (http://www.churchcentral.com/blog/7-Questions-for-your-worship-point-person...- ) While reading the post I realized that it is of paramount importance. Of all the leadership skills important ...
Views: 1327 - Social Intelligence: 6 Steps to Relationship Success - by Submitted on Dec 09, 2010 from Eugene Yiga“I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.” – Vincent van Gogh Meeting people is easy. In addition to the traditional ways like friends, societies, and other social groups, we now have the internet too. And provided we’re prepared to get out of our comfort zones, ...
Views: 2695(4 votes) - Listening for success: 11 tips to master the skill of listening - by Submitted on Dec 01, 2010 from Sean McCarthyBeing an effective listener is one of the most critical skills you can master in order to build meaningful relationships, advance your career, and build a successful business. Many people often believe they are great listeners, primarily because they have been doing it their entire life, but ...
Views: 4117(4 votes) - 5 Surprising ways to Improve any Relationship for the next 12 months! - by Submitted on Dec 02, 2010 from Lea DevDo you find that your relationship with certain folks is in a holding pattern or has subtly degraded, and no matter what you do, interactions keep heading toward the Vortex of Nebula? Look at this list and see if any of these describe the sort of change or changes you've sensed within the last ...
Views: 1050(3 votes) - Risk it, its Worth the Risk! - by Submitted on Nov 22, 2010 from Brad HessThe biggest roadblock we face when trying to implement something new in our lives is our own mind. When we read or hear the material we become excited, we say, “I can do this”, or even better “I will do this”. We see the importance of the principles taught and if we are wise we will implement ...
Views: 1110 - The Lost Art of Listening and Follow Up - by Submitted on Nov 18, 2010 from Jim McNeesHow many people do you encounter, while having a conversation, that are just thinking about what they want to say next? We are all guilty of this scenario and it takes discipline to be a good listener. I remember when I first got into sales and calling on business customers and it was all I ...
Views: 1098 - Conversation Tips: What to Do When You Forget Someone’s Name - by Submitted on Nov 12, 2010 from Tracey BennettYou’ve just met this person at the office, and 2 minutes into the conversation, oops! Her name flies out the window of your memory. When you’re talking to your neighbor, you forget her name, too. Welcome to the club. What are you going to do now? Begin With These 3 Tips: 1. Stay calm. 2. ...
Views: 2565(3 votes) - Why Some People Talk Too Much - Are You One of Them? - by Submitted on Oct 07, 2010 from Royane RealTalking too much is one of the the most common bad habits. Discover the reasons why people talk too much. If you are guilty of being too talkative, learn how you can break this annoying habit. We have all met people who talk a lot, who never seem to run out of things to say. Have you ...
Views: 21213(2 votes) - The Three-Step Business Networking Formula: Common Sense or “Midas Magic”? - by Submitted on Sep 28, 2010 from Jason RosadoLast night I was at another business networking event where everyone was trying to sell me and only talk about their business. It felt like I was getting "pitched to death," and a few times all I could think was, "I'd never do business with you..." So here's the question: "Are these events ...
Views: 1712(10 votes) - 5 Steps to Real Improved Listening (or Why You Were Tricked Out By Your Last Listening Course) - by Submitted on Sep 30, 2010 from Lea Dev5 Steps to Real Improved Listening (or Why You Were Tricked Out By Your Last Listening Course) Admit it. You’ve read the articles that give you the ten or so points of how to listen better. Maybe you’ve even sat through a course or two that was intended to drill home the tenets of fine ...
Views: 2097(4 votes) - The Natural Fear of Listening - by Submitted on Aug 14, 2010 from Richard FastA major barrier to listening to another person, without interruption, is the notion that silence may condone agreement. If someone is talking and we nod or indicate that we’re listening by saying “uh-huh,” a common fear is that the speaker may confuse our failure to object with our agreement. ...
Views: 1267 - The Voice In Stillness - by Submitted on Aug 12, 2010 from Zoe RouthThis is not another article about 'active listening'. You know all the tips already - pay attention, nod, open body position, ask questions, acknowledge, clarify, paraphrase, encourage. This message takes listening to a deeper, more magnetic level that creates deep, authentic connection. The ...
Views: 2403(2 votes) - Five Conversation Killers - by Submitted on Aug 01, 2010 from John DonlandImprove your Conversation by avoiding these traps. And as suddenly as it began, it’s over. There you were, in the middle of a great conversation when suddenly the wind died in your sails, leaving stranded out in a large, unwelcoming and unforgiving ocean. What happened? Not every ...
Views: 10347(2 votes)