Using critical listening allows you to determine the intentions of the speaker and makes you less vulnerable to them taking advantage of you.Ĭritical listening involves the ability to identify any inconsistencies in the speaker’s story and observing body language to determine if the speaker is being truthful. The objective around relational listening is to genuinely display empathy and create a safe environment for your employee to talk about any personal issues that may be negatively affecting their personal or professional well-being.Ĭritical listening is the ability to assess the content of the conversation but also determine the reliability of the speaker. Relational listening is a typical listening style for HR professionals, team leaders and performance managers who may need to facilitate difficult conversations such as determining the reason behind a change in employee behaviour and decline in performance. These are meaningful conversations where the listener gains a better understanding of the speaker’s emotional state even if they have not directly voiced their feelings. Relational listening focuses on the emotions being displayed during the conversation and forming a meaningful connection. It can be a less effective style in situations where people need to feel heard. In an office environment, asking direct questions is an essential part of task-focused listening as the answers will assist you in quickly re-directing your team and getting them back on track when they may be feeling overwhelmed. Feelings are put aside as the main objective is to gather the right information to get to the bottom of the situation. Task-focused listening is effective when it is necessary to gather vital information urgently to respond quickly and efficiently as in the case of an emergency. You are listening with a very clear and focused goal. Task-focused listening prioritises efficiency and directness. The objective of analytical listening is to quickly see logical connections, as well as detecting possible gaps in all the information. This entails being able to interpret the conversation and ask the right questions to get to the core.Īnalytical listening is about facilitating a conversation without any predetermined conclusion but rather gathering all the information before determining your response. When you have a specific goal in mind, you can then focus on how you’re going to listen in that scenario.Ī recent article published in the Harvard Business Review details the research of Graham D Bodie, Debra L Worthington and Christopher C Gearhart and highlights four different types of listening styles:Īnalytical listening is about the ability and the capacity to effectively analyse the conversation. Investing time in learning how to listen effectively can have a massive payoff in your professional and personal life.Įffective communication occurs when there is clarity from both parties on what they’re hoping to achieve by having the conversation. It is common to overvalue expressive communication and undervalue receptive communication. Listening in silence can be a powerful form of validation. Giving someone the space to talk freely and genuinely showing an interest in what they are saying displays authentic leadership and will have a positive impact on any conversation. When you listen attentively and gather the information that is relayed without constructing your response in your mind, you can ask better questions and offer more relevant advice due to having genuine understanding of the topic at hand. You probably displayed active listening by acknowledging the conversation with acts such as smiling and nodding to demonstrate that you are in fact absorbing the information and encouraging the talker to continue.Īctive listening displays strong emotional intelligence however, it may be less effective by making the common mistake of pondering your response while the conversation is in progress as it is human nature to want to respond rather than listen. Now think about your role in the conversation and how you listened. It could have been an employee that needed to talk about their personal issues, a friend that needed support, or a family member needing advice. Take a minute to think about the last conversation you had where you had an opportunity to listen attentively before responding. These conversations take place in the workplace, social gatherings, and at home. We are continuously faced with opportunities to listen and gather vital information before we respond. Your default listening type may be preventing you from communicating effectively and unselfishly. To become a good communicator, you need to learn how to listen attentively before wanting to respond.
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