Five ways to become a better listener at workplace

The art of listening is often thought of as one of the most under rated virtues in the corporate world as professionals try to outdo each other and relying on talking more to get ahead. ET shows how one can become a better listener.

Develop Respect and Empathy

Listening is the most abused process in personal and corporate life, says Sanjeev Dixit, chief people officer at Allied Blenders and Distillers. He suggests developing and working on behavioral characteristics like treating others with respect and empathising, which can help improve learning habits. “Empathy enables you to listen to others with lot of care, compassion and openness which further engages people mutually,” he says.

Focus on Postures, Make Eye Contact

Dixit says a relaxed demeanour is important in a conversation. “Maintaining eye contact and relaxed postures are important non-verbal cues that will convey that you are interested in hearing the other person,” he says.

Solicit Feedback

Swati Sharma, an IT manager, regularly sought feedback from a colleague on improving her conversation styles and listening habits when she realised she had a tendency to intervene too often in conversations. For her, this was a good cue for self-improvement.

Avoid Immediate Reactions

Dixit says it is important to not react immeadiately or aggressively in the middle of conversations. “It is important to observe and absorb things instead of reacting impulsively which may portray someone as being defensive or judgemental,” he says.

Expand your Network

To overcome her listening deficit, Sharma reached out to a wider group of people than before, and found that it gave her a fresh perspective on how she should listen in more often than she did.