Sanjay D

20MBA1022

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

LISTENING SKILL

Listening is the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the

communication process. Listening is key to all effective communication. Without the
ability to listen effectively, messages are easily misunderstood.

Listening is so important that many top employers provide listening skills training for
their employees. This is not surprising when you consider that good listening skills
can lead to better customer satisfaction, greater productivity with fewer mistakes, and
increased sharing of information that in turn can lead to more creative.

Listening Skills are integral to Managers to manage their human resources

effectively. Justify this statement giving relevant examples.

The managers have a unique position representing a bridge between the employees
and the organization. The way they do their job is highly connected to the readiness
and motivation of employees to pursue company goals. To be successful at their job
the managers have to be very good communicators. They have to know how to speak
and listen well. Mastering speaking is something that most of the successful managers
and leaders pay attention to. Everyone practices or at least tries to learn how to talk to
subordinates, to superior managers, how to talk at a meeting, how to hold a
presentation or a public speech.

However, effective communication doesn’t consist only of effective speaking.

Effective listening is even more important for those who want to hold a managerial
position. In order to organize and lead the employees the manager needs to understand
them. Now, some would say “I don’t need to understand them and I don’t need them
to understand me. All I need is that they do their job”. Well, if you want to be a boss
type of a manager preparing himself for a massive failure in the area of leading
people, then this is quite OK.
Also, by understanding them well, they will also understand you better. Simply if you
do your best to understand others, they will also spend more energy and attention to
understand you. If you do not do your best in understanding others, they will not
either.

Why are effective communication skills for managers so important?

Employees (and Avoid Electronic Distractions)
When an employee is trying to have a conversation with a manager, all electronic
devices such as mobile phones, tablets or computers are distractions. A manager may
not realize this, but checking their emails during a conversation does not come off as
respectful to the employee trying to convey a specific message. The speaker will
probably feel unimportant and underappreciated and the manager might miss out on
important information. Ditch the electronic devices to avoid distractions and focus
your attention on the speaker. 
Be Patient
Even if you are dying to jump in and express your point of view, allow the person who
is speaking to you to finish. It’s probably hard for the speaker to come in and start the
conversation in the first place, and they may feel devalued if interrupted continuously.
Listen quietly and express your views after the speaker has finished. 
Furthermore, research has shown that managers that respond too quickly to statements
made during meetings and discussions usually miss the point of what their employees
are trying to say. When your employees have finished talking, repeat the key points
back to them to make sure you’ve understood their message correctly and to reinforce
it yourself. 
Be an Active Listener!
Don’t focus only on the words that your employee is using; nonverbal cues can
convey essential information if one knows how to read them. Look out for changes in
intonation, volume, pace and flow and keep an eye on facial expressions and body
language. All of these can be quite informative and reveal a lot. 
An Effective Management Strategy
Remember, listening skills enable a manager to understand intentions and feelings of
their team, an essential skill for team management. Your employees will be more
open, positive and motivated if they feel they are being heard and will strive to do
their best for the team. 
EXAMPLES OF EFFECTIVE LISTENING

 A job candidate shares her understanding of an unclear question during an

interview and asks if she has it right.
 An interviewer notices that a candidate doesn't look her in the eye when
asserting a key strength.
 A customer service worker repeats a patron’s problem or complaint back to her
to reassure her that she has been heard.
 A counsellor nods and says, "I hear you," to encourage a client to continue to
talk about their traumatic experience.
 A meeting facilitator encourages a reticent group member to share her views
about a proposal.
 An interviewer asks a follow-up question to gain further clarification on the
ways in which a candidate has applied a critical skill in a past job.
 A manager summarizes what her team has said during a staff meeting and asks
them if she has heard things correctly.
 At the end of a performance review, an employee restates the specific areas in
which his supervisor asks he improve.
 At a client meeting, a salesperson asks an open-ended question like, "What can
I do to serve you better?" and encourages his counterpart to express any
concerns fully.
 A nurse informs a patient that she is aware of how scared they are about their
upcoming surgery and says she is there for her.

An employee pays careful attention to a speaker at a training session and asks

clarifying questions on the information they are receiving.