Here are some great tips from Michelle Tillis Lederman's book, The 11 Laws of Likability. They are all about:
- what to do and what not to do to be a leader who's an effective listener:
Do:
- Maintain eye contact
- Limit your talking
- Focus on the speaker
- Ask questions
- Manage your emotions
- Listen with your eyes and ears
- Listen for ideas and opportunities
- Remain open to the conversation
- Confirm understanding, paraphrase
- Give nonverbal messages that you are listening (nod, smile)
- Ignore distractions
Don't:
- Interrupt
- Show signs of impatience
- Judge or argue mentally
- Multitask during a conversation
- Project your ideas
- Think about what to say next
- Have expectations or preconceived ideas
- Become defensive or assume you are being attacked
- Use condescending, aggressive, or closed body language
- Listen with biases or closed to new ideas
- Jump to conclusions or finish someone's sentences
