Listening is incredibly understated. The amount of information you can gain and the connections you can strengthen should not be underestimated. Yet, it is such a difficult thing for so many people. They are unable to truly listen to other people and their heads are filled with their own thoughts and worries or worse, they don’t give the other person a moment to speak and just talk about themselves. So I’m going to help you learn a better way to listen.
By asking questions to the other person, you immediately allow them the opportunity to open up. I used to suffer from the problem of being the only one speaking. I wasn’t sure how to communicate so I just kept speaking, about anything. But if I had known to ask questions, I would have been able to engage with the other person and build a genuine relationship. Rather than bore them with the story of my life. Of course, you must follow this up by listening to them and taking a genuine interest in what they have to say. Whether it is of interest to you or not, it will be to them and as such, is worth hearing. You never know what you might learn.
The simplest way to do this is just to ask questions in regards to what they say. Ask about their day; ask how it went and how they felt about it. I understand that this is a difficult thing that many people struggle with but it becomes quite simple when you break it down like this. People enjoy being asked questions and talking about themselves. This will make others more likely to ask you questions and develop genuine relationships.
When it comes to listening in other areas of life, listening can ensure that you are privy to important information. Remember what people told you and react accordingly. Whether it comes to your friends, loved ones or co-workers. Understanding what they are doing, what they need or what they like can inform your actions around them. In the past this has helped me to strengthen relationships with those around me. They are consistently pleased or surprised that you remembered the things they have told you and will more than likely return the favour.
Listening to others is incredibly powerful in all areas of life. At work, it can help you to get further within your career. Remember what is considered important and act with that in mind. This helped me substantially when seeking a job. I remembered what each interviewer said, what they considered a good answer and what they were looking for. In each future interview I used this knowledge to say the right thing. This resulted in me gaining several successful job offers. Of course, I had to be appropriately qualified.
By listening more, you can improve your own relationships, life and the life of those around you. I implore you to try it and see how this affects you and your life.
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