Remove the clutter from your physical and mental space, tie up loose ends and prioritize your task list. So, instead of simply avoiding these mental distractions, prepare for them so they don’t become issues in the first place.

It’s easy to say, “Avoid distractions”, but when someone is talking to you and all you can think about is the report you need to create or a meeting you have to attend, a better approach is needed. They have to get “just one more thing” done in the time they’re allotted. It’s no wonder they’re checking their email during meetings. Many managers are overwhelmed and even burnt out trying to meet demanding deadlines. I’ve included some easy, ready-to-use tips below to help out. Remembering – information is stored for later useĭo you follow each step? I fall short on number four sometimes – especially when it comes to remembering names, a topic I don’t understand, or a topic in which I’m completely uninterested.īut there are other reasons managers have a difficult time with listening, the most common being workload stress and communication style differences.Understanding – meaningful information is retained and put into context.Attending – sound is received by the brain, and the brain decides on which items to focus.

Hearing – sound enters the eardrum and travels to the brain.

There are four steps involved in the listening process: Some might say listening is an art, even. Sure, many managers hear what their staff have to say, but listening is an entirely different thing. There’s more to listening than meets the… ear Someone told me that because his manager was so busy answering emails during their regular one-on-one meetings and wasn’t listening to what he was saying, he finally emailed his manager instead – while he was sitting across from him! While that may not have been the ideal way to get his manager’s attention, it worked! Have you ever had a conversation during which you’re distracted and the other person asks, “Are you listening to me?” Or, worse, you say that you are listening and they surprise you with, “Oh really? Tell me what I said!” There are a plethora of writing and speaking workshops and conferences available, but not much is available to teach us how to be more effective listeners. Formal education includes reading, writing and speaking. Our most used method of communication is listening, yet only 2% of Americans have had any formal education on listening skills. Most people do not listen with the intent to understand they listen with the intent to reply.

Stephen covey listen to understand