Listening Skills In American Business
Why are listening skills a part of good etiquette in the workplace?
Lisetning skills are a part of good etiquette in the workplace as they've done some research, and they've determined that a doctor interrupts his patient who's explaining their diagnosis to the doctor after 19 seconds, but it takes a patient a minute and a half to fully explain their problem. Because there are usually three things that bring a patient into a doctors office, three complaints that a patient has, and they dont often get to that third complaint within 19 seconds. So the doctor could, literally, misdiagnose what the problem is if they interrupt. Now, the same thing is true in American business today. If someone comes to you and wants to tell you something thats going on, a concern they have, a question they have, they might not get to the real answer of what theyre asking you, until after 90 seconds. So the trick is to listen carefully. Use prompts such as 'Tell me more', nod your head affirmatively, dont blink or avoid blinking, use cues that make them ask you, probing them to fully finish, and they will stop talking. Now, we wont listen to endless babble in the workplace, so you can stop people and redirect their question. But overall to just listen until one has a chance to finish is considered good listening skills on a listener's part.
What is the proper way to convey interest in someone who is speaking to me?
The proper way to convey interest in someone you are listening to, indeed if you really want to look like you're listening to someone, don't blink your eyes, it makes them think you're really listening. I don't blink and it makes people think I'm just entranced by everything they're saying. I nod my head and I can go for a long time doing that, moving from side to side, without blinking. But if people are in your face, they're not listening. Or, if they look over your shoulder or at whoever else is in the room, I don't engage those people, because I know they're not there. Why should I waste my precious time? I cant create rapport with someone who isn't going to give it back to me. I don't mind working at it and trying to move a little bit to catch their eye, but some people just have no intimacy skills.
