February 19, 2025

How to reach high achievement through listening skills

6 min read

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[Editor’s note: This post is the third in a new column for eSchool News. In her column on ‘Personal Development’, eSchool News Columnist Jennifer Abrams focuses on tangible takeaways, tools and teachings that all those working in schools can use to develop their leadership. Read more about the column and browse future content here.]

“When you pay attention to somebody, it is the most profound act of human regard.” -William Ury

I bear in mind when I began my get the job done as a specialist developer and coach. It was the very first time in my each day get the job done wherever pupils have been not my quick target. My interactions on a everyday basis ended up with grownups, and I understood that I wasn’t as geared up for this sort of communication specified my credentialing and my graduate research.

I experienced a credential in how to train pupils the subject of English, and what turned significantly crystal clear was that I didn’t have a credential in how to function successfully with older people and unquestionably did not have a background or an deliberately designed skillset on how to be an effective team member.

Listening as a Acquired Skill

I worked on the talent of staying an productive group member and keep on to do so. Many of my consulting colleagues, inside their do the job on coaching, collaborating and teaching aim on listening as a important ability to know inside and outside the classroom.

At the Imagining Collaborative expert developers guide educators every day and intentionally in setting up this skillset. They communicate to a selection of collaborative skills that make a team member efficient. [More on other skills in future columns.] This column will concentrate on a single of those ability sets, listening.

Much has been published about listening.  Listening is talked over and stated in books, in TED talks, on YouTube, and in innumerable content articles in instruction, enterprise and in health and fitness treatment. Why so quite a few citations? Because we have a tendency to not do it properly.

It is a pivotal element of the ability building that we hope learners find out. In point, I have usually mentioned that the Typical Main Point out Specifications on Speaking and Listening, these kinds of as 11-12 B and C “Work with friends to endorse civil, democratic discussions and selection-creating, set obvious plans and deadlines, and establish unique roles as needed” and, “Propel conversations by posing and responding to inquiries that probe reasoning and evidence assure a listening to for a total array of positions on a subject matter or challenge explain, validate, or challenge concepts and conclusions and boost divergent and artistic perspectives,” basically are not lived out in team conferences that I participate in or witness in the faculties in which I work.

3 Types of Listening 

Presented that the get the job done on energetic listening could just take webpages and webpages to overview, I will point out only the briefest still, what I sense is 1 of the most powerful piece of guidance on listening that I have gained: In purchase to be extra ‘other targeted,’ shell out interest to your listening ‘set asides.’

Laura Lipton and Bruce Wellman (www.miravia.com) discuss to the plan of ‘setting aside’ specified stances we usually acquire in conversation.  Rather of certainly becoming current and listening to the person intently we do not established aside our needs and these desires get in the way of our conversation. Our set asides include things like

  • Autobiographical listening: The minute we listen to a little something that connects with our everyday living, we share. We say, “Me far too. I recall when…” or “That has took place to me!  In fact, just the other day…” When we share these ‘me too’ moments we could feel we are connecting and offering solace, but truly it might just be us taking the target away from what the individual was expressing and putting the highlight on us.
  • ‘Dishing the dirt’ listening: The other person responses on a thing and you add in a number of more tidbits of info. “Did you know she was…” or “That isn’t the 1st time I have heard that. Joanne says…” There is a time to share history information that will provide the conversation. There is also just ‘dishing’ and that isn’t normally a helpful piece of information to share.
  • Solution-oriented listening: “You know what you require to do about that?” is a little something we promptly give as a reaction if we are in the space of option oriented listening. “You want to do this…” or “Have you tried…?”  Solutions can be incredibly beneficial in some conditions but most of the time remedies aren’t empowering, nor do they exhibit the human being you are chatting to that you sense they’ve ‘got this’ and can manage their possess worries. I am all for remedies and most of the time check with myself if a suggestion may possibly be a improved way to give an concept. The essential is to question on your own, “What are my factors for expressing this? And “Does this provide my colleague to hear this?”

There are so several other listening techniques to build as properly, such as:

  • how to paraphrase
  • how to craft a clarifying query
  • how to pay consideration to your non-verbals
  • how to include your viewpoint.

All of these listening capabilities are legitimate and crucial to productive collaboration.

Constructing up our listening capacity can aid us in reaching at high levels in our colleges. (See Hattie’s analysis on collective efficacy).

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Resource url Whether in the workplace or in one’s personal life, an individual has the potential to reach outstanding achievement by improving their active listening skills. Utilizing strong listening abilities can help an individual to form stronger relationships, resolve conflicts, and effectively understand the motivations and needs of those around them. There are several steps that a person can take to practice and improve their listening skills in order to reach their full potential.

Listening well requires an individual to be present, attentive, and open-minded. To show that you are engaged in the conversation, it is important to maintain consistent eye contact and body language which conveys an understanding and interest in what is being said. In addition, pay close attention to the words being spoken as well as any implicit body language or other indicators that the other person is conveying. Without having any mental distractions, you will be better able to process the material being presented.

To become a good listener, one must also practice self-awareness. It is essential to understand that during conversations there will be strong emotions, and those emotions must be controlled and managed. Additionally, it is important to be aware of the cultures and experiences of those who you are listening to in order to ensure that what you are hearing is accurately interpreted. Being able to put yourself in the shoes of the speaker helps to gain empathy which improves communication.

Listening is also about responding thoughtfully. This means that when the conversation has ended, it is important to respond back with appropriate questions and relevant comments which encourage continued dialogue. Do not be afraid to ask questions as this will not only show you are actively engaging in the conversation but will also help you to gain clarity on the topic. Taking the time to think before responding will also make sure the response is both meaningful and effective.

Being a great listener is an essential skill that is invaluable in both personal and professional settings. With dedication, practice, and intentionality, an individual has the potential to excel through improved listening skills. By focusing on being present, self-aware, and responsive, people will have the opportunity to reach high achievement through the art of listening.