Waje, Marina R.

EOC 4 April 3, 2017

BAMM 3A Ms. Mylene Mesias

If you become a leader in your organization, why might listening be important?

Listening is very important in an organization. According to Janice Tingum of

smallbusiness.chron.com, in a business organization, listening is a key to effective working

relationships among employees and between management and staff. Listening skills also impact

a companys interaction with customers and other businesses. To improve your listening skills,

give the other person your full attention and maintain eye contact. When she is done speaking,

rephrase her remarks and ask whether you understand her correctly. Continue to ask questions to

gain a better understanding of her statements. The following are the benefits of listening in an

organization:

Gain Information

Listening enables you to acquire facts so that you can make decisions that benefit your

business. By listening to a job applicant in an interview, for example, you might discover his

attitudes toward the profession, performance in previous jobs and information not detailed on his

resume. This additional insight can help you decide whether the applicant is a good fit for your

company.

Develop Trust

Listening is essential to building trust. If one member of a team

doesnt listen to instructions, an entire project might fail. To develop trust,

pay attention to verbal instructions and deadlines. Listen for statements a

coworker might make regarding his own strengths and weaknesses as it

relates to a project, so that you can collaborate in a way that maximizes

each others strengths.

Maintain Reputation

The reputation of a business depends upon listening skills. If you fail to listen to a

customer, for example, the customer might not receive the service or product she expected.

When this occurs repeatedly, it can tarnish the companys reputation. A company develops

relationships with other businesses through verbal communication, too. Talking on the phone and

working on a task at the same time can result in misunderstandings.

Reduce Conflict

Listening can reduce conflict. A conflict can arise when an individual feels

misunderstood or mistreated. For example, if you fail to listen to instructions and your coworker

does the task you were supposed to perform, the coworker might be unhappy with you. Pay

attention to nonverbal cues, as well. If an individuals facial expressions, gestures or behavior

contradict her words, ask questions to find out what she really means.

Motivate Employees

A manager can improve morale and productivity by understanding what motivates each

employee. Listen to employees to discover what aspects of the job they find most rewarding and

challenging. Dont expect to understand an employees needs from a single conversation.

Continue to be an attentive listener so that the employee knows you are sincerely interested in

what she has to say.

Another author of smallbusiness.chron.com, Ms. Jackie Lohrey stated that

listening is a key component in establishing effective working relationships between employee

groups and between management and staff. Lohrey also enumerates the impoetance of listening

in Business Communications. Here are the following:

Active Listening Works

Active listening takes place when a listener focuses his full attention on the speaker,

avoids interrupting the speaker, remains nonjudgmental and shows genuine interest in the

speaker. In addition to hearing the words, full attention allows the listener to understand whats

being implied and read nonverbal clues such as body language and facial expressions that may

contradict verbal words.

Conflict Resolution

Workplace disputes and unhappy customers disrupt productivity and create an

inefficient work environment. An ability to listen can, however, turn a disruptive situation into an

opportunity for growth. If an upset coworker or dissatisfied customer feels she is truly being

heard, it can help to calm the situation, relieve negative feelings and provide an opportunity for

real problem solving to begin. Effective listening is a way of showing true concern for the

speaker and their situation.

Motivation and Productivity

 Effective listening can produce unintended results that ultimately benefit both the

business and the speaker. For example, when a department takes the time to really listen to

employees, she hears not only what theyre saying but gets insight into what makes each

employee tick. The better a manager understands his employees the more effectively he can

motivate employees

Perception Management

A small businesss reputation can make or break its chances for

future success and profitability. Good listening skills can prevent

misunderstandings, ensure a first encounter creates a positive impression

and help maintain a small business good reputation.

Gleen Llopis, one of the contibutor of Forbes.com, introduce the 6

ways of effective listening that can make you a better leader.

Here are six effective forms of listening that will help get you started:

1. Show That You Care

When you care about your employees, they tend to work harder and aim to exceed your

expectations. Employees want to be led by those who genuinely care about who they are and
what they represent to the team and organization at-large. Dont just view your employees as

tools and resources for your own success but as people and valuable assets who bring unique

capabilities and aptitudes not necessarily limited to their job functions.

2. Engage Yourself

Beyond caring, engage yourself in matters important to your employees. When they share their

opinions, ask questions and encourage them to elaborate and expand upon their perspectives.

When you engage yourself more actively, hold yourself accountable and follow-up with your

employees, they will know that you are listening, paying attention and attempting to understand

what matters most to them.

3. Be Empathetic

The workplace is fueled with the stress and pressure of each day. Because every employee

manages stress and pressure differently, it is important that you are empathetic to how these

distractors impact employee performance.

Express your concern and show your employees that you feel their frustrations. Empathy is a

powerful display of listening. Great leaders know how to balance the head and the heart.

4. Dont Judge Others

Leaders that judge others are not listening. Too many times leaders make harsh criticisms about

those with a different style or approach. When leaders judge, they expose their immaturity and

inability to embrace differences. Leaders must not grow complacent. The 21st century leader
must embrace new ideas and ideals. They must be more active listeners, constantly learning and

adapting to change.

5. Be Expansively Mindful

Great leaders are extremely mindful of their surroundings. They know how to actively listen

beyond the obvious via both verbal and non-verbal communication. They acknowledge others

via body language, facial expressions and nods.

Leaders that are mindful are not just hearing conversations; they are

listening to them and engaging in the dialogue. They dont fake it, they are

taking note of what is being said and how people are saying it and are

making continuous eye-contact and gestures.

6. Dont Interrupt

Compassionate leaders listen and dont interrupt the flow of the dialogue.

They embrace two-way communication and are aware that with every

interruption comes disengagement. They earn respect from their peers by

being a patient listener.

Conversation: A vocal competition in which the one who is catching his

breath is called the listener. Anonymous

Theres a lot of truth in this saying. The art of active listening is

something that takes time and effort. In fact, the average person talks at a

rate of about 125 175 words per minute, while we can listen at a rate of up

to 450 words per minute. It is mentioned in the quotation that the one who

is catching his breath is called the listener. Maybe because the person who

listens carefully on what the speaker is talking about tends to receive a lot of

information thats why hes catching his breath.

Bore, n.: A person who talks when you wish him to listen. Ambrose Bierce

Bore refers to a person who has a poor listening skills. Usually, these

kind people are the one who are not showing some interest on what is being

talked about. Sometimes, they want all the attentions to be with them thats

why they always talk when you wish them to listen. Theres a lot of reasons

why bore people dont listen to the speakers. Maybe there is a

communication barrier, but one thing is for sure. It is very annoying and

offensive for the speaker.