I honestly cannot choose good listeners over poor listeners, it has been my experience that listeners are split 50/50. Many people can portray good listening by making eye contact, nodding, saying things like “right”, “uh huh”, or “exactly” but when you ask them to repeat what you said they can barely give you the cliff notes. On the other hand there are plenty of people who offer similar verbal and nonverbal indicators of being involved in your speech but who are truly listening for understanding. In my past experience working in management and much earlier in entry-level positions, I’ve come to understand the importance of effective communication and with that, listening. A few helpful listening skills that employees can practice are: responding to the communication evenly regardless of if they agree or disagree with the stance of the speaker. Do not interrupt, let the speaker say what they need then provide your response likewise, while the other person is speaking it is always good to acknowledge what is being said through verbal and nonverbal cues. Our text states “Listening represents a critical part of management communications… Active listening involves hearing with a purpose and making a conscious effort to turn off internal filters and biases…Empathic listening takes place when the receiver tries to understand the other person… Critical listening occurs when the recipient goes beyond comprehending the message to evaluating it” (Baack, 2012). I can improve my listening skills by employing the techniques offered by Baack (2012) and by recognizing through my own communication what works and what has not.
Reference
Baack, D. (2012). Management communication. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.