Looking ahead to the New Year, are you interested in strengthening your leadership skills? If so, there is one area of growth that must come first before anything else improves. Do you know what this area is? I’ll bet you do: It is improving our listening skills. Our skills in listening are vital in building trust and maintaining focus and clarity. Here is some good news: The next few weeks should give us ample opportunity to put a better edge to our listening skills. Here’s how:
Think of a gathering you will be attending this holiday season. As you anticipate each event, work on developing a mindset of simply showing genuine interest in others. Here is an example:
Last night I attended a church function, and as soon as I entered the door, I encountered a smiling older lady who had given me cookies during our last visit. I began the conversation by saying how much I enjoyed the cookies and why I liked them so much. I then asked if she would share the recipe. She was thrilled to do so. Next she began talking about how she made the cookies. and the special people she gave them to. It was her passion, and she was sharing it. Our conversation probably lasted about 10 minutes, and all we talked about was the cookies and how she loved to give them away. I walked away from the conversation knowing I had sincerely given her my full attention, and also picked up a good recipe.
Before you go to your next social event, I recommend you go with these two objectives:
Have a goal of learning something about someone.
With genuine sincerity, let another person talk about something important to them.
Do this, and you will be exercising your listening skills and building good relationships.
