Being able to communicate clearly and effectively is critical to business success, yet how many people think that simply TELLING someone something suffices?

Communication is a two way street, and it’s important to be able to LISTEN well if you want to be able to deliver your message effectively.

Business Coach Auckland

Listening can be categorized into four levels:

COSMETIC – This is when you’re not really listening at all, you might be pretending you are by giving the occasional nod or grunt to pretend you’re listening, but really your mind is somewhere else.

CONVERSATIONAL – As the name suggests, you are engaged in conversation. You are listening, though you’re also talking, thinking about what’s been said, thinking about what you’ll say next, and sometimes interrupting what the other person is trying to say.

ACTIVE – Now you’re more serious. You’re actively focused on what the other person is saying with the intent of understanding what’s being said and why it’s important to that person.

DEEP – At this stage you are completely focused on what the other person is saying. You’re able to listen beyond words and notice HOW the other person is saying things, and also what is NOT being said.

Listening is an active and intentional process, unlike hearing which is simply an auditory function. To listen means to actively perceive information, not only through the ears, but also through use of our other senses. Often it’s noticing what’s not being said that can lead to the greatest insights.

The first two levels, Cosmetic and Conversational, can be labeled as hearing. Yet you’re not really hearing the other person at all. Not until you apply the levels of Active and Deep listening do you truly get what the other person is saying.

To fully listen to another speaks loudly of your intention and acts as a powerful motivator for TRUST.

This is one of the reasons why emails will never be an appropriate substitute for effective communication. The printed word can never portray facial expressions, tone of voice, body language, and all the other signals that you use and can pick up in others through intentional listening.

Next time you want to communicate an important message, and you want to know the person hears you, understands you, and trusts you – incorporate some good open questions into your message and flex your finer listening muscles.

If this is a skill that could be refined in your business, you might want to consider contacting us at Business Coach Auckland and finding out about a customized Effective Communication program to enhance productivity and engagement in your people.

All the Best!

Vaughan
Business Coach: Auckland