Active listening

Active listening

What happens to you when you are given the space to speak and to express yourself clearly, with encouragement and without fear of interruption? And what might that be like for your clients and colleagues?

''Just by listening to the client more, I found I wasn’t second guessing what they wanted but by giving them space to think they were clarifying their own needs. And the biggest thing is I realised I didn’t have to find solutions for people.” Lucy Solomon, Grey

Who taught you how to listen?

And do you ever stop to think what it is you are listening for?

Most of us ‘hear’ as opposed to ‘listen’.

Learn how to move from passively hearing, to actively listening - a creative and highly rewarding skill. Learn how to listen to understand, rather than listen to respond. True listening allows people to gain clarity about what it is they really want, especially those that clarify their thinking out loud, when they are given an opportunity to actually hear themselves.

Nancy Kline said, “The quality of your attention, determines the quality of other people’s thinking.”

Imagine the potential impact on your clients.

“I noticed how much I am ‘listening to understand’ and not ‘listening to respond’ and I have seen how much more I remember but also how this gives others the space to explore their own thoughts. It’s an incredibly powerful and useful skill to have. Implementing this level of listening has led to a better understanding on client challenges and given me the confidence to ask questions where needed.”

Active listening

Hayley Hedges, Account Manager, MediaVest Planning