Communicate...and how!

During my first few months at MarketWave, I heard what has become a bit of a legendary story. The short version: Tina was on a conference call with some engineers from a client company discussing how hackers could sit outside of a company’s building and literally break into its network from the parking lot using homemade devices as simple as stuff they would find at Radio Shack. As she listened, she put the call on mute and voiced the term “drive-by hacking” to our team. The phrase not only attached a memorable phrase to the issue, but sparked a story angle, which our firm later pitched and landed on CNN.

The story stuck with me, serving as a reminder that great ideas can sometimes come from unlikely places and that active listening can really pay off. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that, like other skills, we have to hone and develop our ability to actively listen and process information.

Here are five guidelines I tend to follow:

Believe in the benefits. Improving relationships, gaining insight, improving clarity, sparking new ideas and learning something new.
Focus and re-focus. It’s so easy to get distracted. Have the walls always been that color? Why do these people keep walking by? Ugh, I need to reschedule that doctor’s appointment. Put all other thoughts aside and stay in the moment.

We often think of listening skills as one of the tools we need in the business culture and I am one of the first to adopt that philosophy. After all, my degree is in Business Management.

Do you want to improve your attentiveness as a leader? Active listening is one of many techniques that Martyn Newman recommends.

Lesson PlansLa.SWPBS Implementation Resource Guide 2005 Lesson Plans Horseshoe Drive Elementary 51 Lesson Plans for Rules Teaching Skills/Rules are free...

Set Induction
Teacher shows pupils the buildings and asks them to describe those buildings. For example, teacher will show them a hospital and ask, "What is this?". They will reply "It is a hospital", "People who are sick go there" or "Doctors...

Standard Format. Pre-listeningListeningPost-listening.

In our Neuron Learning "Learning Times" series Neuroscientist Dr Martha Burns explains the significance of reading skills for building listening skills in children. Its not about teachers talking less!

After watching sound engineer, and all round sound expert, Julian Treasure’s TED Talk entitled “5 ways to listen better” I came across a game called Sound Ball that he featured in a post on his blog (August 2011). The post included a description of 5 games, sent to Julian by musician and music teacher Huw Lloyd, who primarily uses the games to improve the listening skills of his music students.

Sound Ball is a simple game that could be an effective way to improve the listening skills that Psychology students need to engage meaningfully in discussion and debate. The game also has the potential to increase the likelihood a student will make a verbal contribution in a lesson.

Listening skills are of vital importance in business. Click here to learn how to understand these skills and improve them for a business organization.

You probably spend more time using your listening skills than any other kind of skill. Like other skills, listening takes practice. What does it mean to really listen?

Effective listening skills are essential for success in your business or personal life.