| In terms of communication many leaders are | | | | People like to be appreciated and like to know |
| excellent when it comes to writing. Others are | | | | that they are important. Let's face it we all like to |
| highly effective when it comes to speaking. The | | | | be recognised. When people see you as someone |
| third key communication skill is listening. Many | | | | who takes the time to listen to others |
| struggle when it comes to listening. Why? Well | | | | contributions, you go up in their estimations and |
| often the reason is that unlike speaking and | | | | gain more respect. |
| writing, most of us have never been taught how | | | | Benefit 4: You find out more |
| to listen effectively. | | | | You will discover things just by listening more and |
| So if you are in a leadership or management role, | | | | in reality, you will probably find out much more |
| what are the 5 benefits of listening? | | | | than you expected. People tend to say much |
| Benefit 1: You discover things | | | | more than they even anticipated they would |
| Many leaders spend the vast majority of their | | | | themselves when they have the ear of someone |
| time well away from the front line so may only | | | | senior in the organisation. They see it as a golden |
| have a limited understanding of what is going on. | | | | opportunity to get their issues on the table. For |
| When they go on walkabout and make unplanned | | | | you as the leader you get below the surface on |
| visits to departments or teams, they get to hear | | | | what is really going on in the business. |
| about some of the worries and challenges that | | | | Benefit 5: You uncover opportunities |
| people have. Armed with these discoveries they | | | | In organisations it is often those closest to the |
| can start to do something about those challenges. | | | | customer or product that are aware of the |
| Benefit 2: You take better decisions | | | | benefits and drawbacks. By listening, you can |
| As leader you know that complete information is | | | | discover opportunities to make an existing |
| a luxury and not something you have most of | | | | product or service better or even uncover an |
| time. Yet by listening you can get a greater range | | | | opportunity for product or service expansion. |
| of points of views and ideas which help you to | | | | Bottom line- We might not be taught how to |
| take the best decision you can from the | | | | listen but as a leader, effective listening can play a |
| information you have. | | | | huge part in your success. So what do you need |
| Benefit 3: You gain respect | | | | to do more to leverage the benefits of listening? |