Communication Tips

10 Ways to Improve Listening Habits
Better Business Communication Day (BBCD) is an event sponsored by the Corporate Speech Pathology Network (Corspan). In honor of BBCD, "10 Ways to Improve Listening Habits" was released to the public. According to Barbara Christensen, past president of Corspan and owner of Madison-based Speech Advantage, LLC, listening is just as essential as speech when communicating. Below are ten suggestions of how to improve your listening for a positive impact on communication in the workplace.

1. Plan to have adequate time, so that you can fully attend to the speaker without multi-tasking.
2. Listen with a positive, encouraging, and open-minded attitude.
3. Control distractions by holding meetings in quiet environments and away from telephones.  Ignore distractions that cannot be eliminated.
4. Listen attentively so you can interpret, evaluate, and respond appropriately.  Have a note pad ready to jot down ideas rather than interrupting the speaker.
5. Nod to acknowledge what the speaker is saying, and periodically summarize or paraphrase your understanding of what has been stated.  This allows you to clarify the message and avoid future misunderstandings.
6. Ask the speaker to clarify anything that is vague or unclear.
7. Ask open-ended questions to learn as much as possible.
8. Maintain consistent eye contact.  If listening on the phone, try to visualize the speaker in your mind.
9. Listen for the total meaning, including feelings as well as information.
10. Contact a speech-language pathologist who specializes in training to enhance business communication.  Valued employees may benefit from specialized training to help them communicate more effectively with customers, staff, and colleagues.