Listening skills

Listening skills For communication at work, are listening skills important? If so, provide multiple reasons. How would you describe your listening skills? Is listening the same as hearing? What is selective hearing? Good listening skills make workers more productive. The ability to listen carefully will allow employees to better understand assignments and what is expected of them; build rapport with co-workers, bosses, and clients; show support; work better in a team-based environment; resolve problems with customers, co-workers, and bosses; answer questions; and find underlying meanings in what others say. A good listener knows that being attentive to what the other person doesnt say is as important as being attentive to what the person does say. Listening is one of the most important skills that a person should possess. How well a person listens has a major impact on job effectiveness, and on the quality of relationships with others. The way to become a better listener is to practice active listening. This is where a person should make a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, to try and understand the total message being sent. When I am providing listening skills, the first thing that I do is pay attention. I want to show the other person that I am listening and I also provide feedback. Listening is not the same as hearing. Hearing is a physical process of taking in sound and unless you are hearing impaired, hearing is in relative terms an easy process. Listening is more difficult; it is a cognitive process requiring brain work. Selective hearing is a way of describing the tendency of some people to ignore things that they dont want to hear. I tend to possess selective hearing at times especially when I am being told to do something. Professional demeanor is a type of demeanor that involves a persons manner and nonverbal emotional tone. Professionalism and an overly serious manner are not one and the same. Highly professional people smile appropriately and they command respect. One thing a person should never do is to try and be somebody, or something they are not. It is important to be natural and to be yourself. First impressions mean so much and a person does not have to say anything for another person to judge their demeanor. When in a meeting or interview, it is important to dress professional. It is not about what accessories are collaborated with your outfit, its about selling yourself or the company that you represent. Presenting a professional demeanor also means that a persons nails are clean and they provide cordial phone mannerisms. It is always important to strive to be a better person that is helpful, kind, and considerate in the workplace. My message is always consistent between the two. I work in corporate America and I understand the value that my company strives for. It is important for me to represent myself while at work and even when I am not at work. I never know who is watching my every move. Professional demeanor to me means the way you carry yourself. That demeanor does not have to be communicated in a business manner but your everyday life. Some people who work in professional environments really dont know how to be professional. A professional person is poised and confident. They handle their business. They understand laid back and professional settings. In a workplace, it is important to understand the dress code. Business casual does not mean capris. A nice pair of slacks and a nice blouse is great. Speaking clearly and staying grounded in great also. The way a person presents themselves should be professional. Loud is not the way to do. I carry myself in a professional and poised way because I want respect and for people to understand that I am about my business. My message is always consistent and I come across to people nice because I want the same treatment. Communication is a process of transferring information from one entity to another. Nonverbal communication is the process of communicating through sending and receiving wordless messages. Such messages can be communicated through gesture, body language or posture; facial expression and eye contact. Nonverbal communication plays a key role in every persons day to day life, from employment to romantic engagements. Visual communication as the name suggests is communication through visual aid. It is the conveyance of ideas and information in forms that can be read or looked upon. Nonverbal communication is very important to a deaf person who may get many information cues this way. I may use such communication skills as facial expressions and gestures. I may have to touch a deaf person on the shoulder, arm, or leg to get their attention if they are close enough to me. When communicating with a person with bad eyesight, it is important to describe what is being done. I may describe my gestures, facial expressions and what is being presented. I need to make sure that I effective communicate so that way no one will leave the meeting lost as to what is going on. Patience is the key word. I would incorporate some of my team members to help me to find way that we all can understand the issue. The age difference is clearly a factor in this team environment. The oldest member is set in her ways and may want things done from start to finish. Sometimes younger people may slack off just a little. They go with the flow as one would say. I understand that. They may agree but have no idea what is being communicated. Males have their own opinions when it comes to situations. Females want to be right well at least I do. I want things to be in order and mapped out before the plans are taken into action. I understand that language barriers are a huge issue maybe for the latinos and kenyan team members. They have sometimes really strong accents and other team members may have a huge problem understanding what is said. They also may get frustrated because we all cant understand. They may give up. The deaf person and the one with the hearing aid may need someone to translate on paper or everything may have to be drawn out. The key word is team and we all have to go up with plans. I woul d not want anyone to feel left out because they have a difficult timeunderstanding. The team member with the bad eye sight may need everything read to him/her. We would have to describe what is going on. It all can be done though. As Team Leader, what can you do to ensure everyones understanding of task assignments from the meeting? As a team leader, I will not leave the meeting until we all understand. If I have to have a meeting catering to each persons individual need, then I will do that. What are some alternative communication mediums you may utilize in your meeting? We all can help. Some people may have better communication skills with other and so I will involve my team and ask for their help. We can use drawings and tap recorded messages. Whatever can get them all involved. In what ways would you follow-up, after the staff meeting, to ensure communication was a success? I would have one on one communications with each team member to make sure they understand. If they dont I will set aside time for each member and depending on the situation utilize whatI have to make it work. My response Demeanor involves your manner and your nonverbal emotional tone. You may or may not be conscious of the overall emotional undertone that you are exuding.Professionalism and an overly serious manner are not one and the same. Nor is professionalism staid and boring. Highly professional people smile appropriately and they command respect. If you have trouble smiling or appearing approachable in a professional setting, try keeping your mouth open, just a little not gaping just lips slightly parted. This expression communicates that you have an open mind. Pursed, tight lips communicate a closed mind just as arms crossed do. And a tightly closed mouth signals an angry or self-righteous individual. http://www.casualpower.com/business_casual_tips/demeanor.html Presenting a professional demeanor begins with clean nails, clothing appropriate to the workplace, and cordial phone mannerisms. Some people consider these to be the only requirements of professional demeanor. Certainly these help present a professional image, but true professionals do not stop there. Someone striving to be a better person is helpful, kind, and considerate in the workplace. http://bizcovering.com/business/professional-demeanor/