Effective Listening Skills

Dear Carnegie Coach:
I’ve been a manager in a very high stress job. Some days I find myself in my office all day stuck under a pile of work. Most of my employees don’t see me very much and this has lead to some discontent within my office. What can I do to better stay in touch with my employees?
-Daren

Dear Daren:
Open your door and listen. Employees need to feel like you value what they have to say, by listening you can raise morale and energize your workforce. Here are a few tips on how to become an active listener.

1. Look at the other person- Eye contact is very important, it let’s the other person know that you are listening and have an interest in what they have to say.
2. Ask questions- By asking questions you can not only better understand what the persons saying but you are engaging them.
3. Don’t change the subject- You should not be the one leading the conversation. Listen and let the other person lead, let the person stay on the topic.
4. Express emotion with control – emotion is a form of non verbal feedback. A smile or a frown lets the person know that you understand what they are saying.
5. Action – If a question or concern is left unanswered, show that you will follow up, take action and return back with a response.