The 3 R’s of Intentional Listening

Think of all the communications courses you’ve taken, seminars you’ve attended, and articles you’ve seen in which they tell you how to speak, how to present, or how to create a PowerPoint slide. Compare that to how much less often a course is offered on how to listen. Listening (good, active and intentional listening) is a key, an absolute MUST, for good communication. And it’s something we focus on frequently in our workshops at The Latimer Group. We break it down to 3 simple R’s to help you be a better listener:

1. Respect — Intentional listening starts with the most common of courtesies. Engage with the person you’re communicating with. Turn off your phone. Don’t multitask. Focus your attention, because it will help you, and them…
2. Remember — Before things go in one ear and out the other, take a moment to jot notes during your conversation. Repeat key phrases back. Engage in a dialogue to help you retain that key information. Ask questions for clarity. And then, once you’ve got it…
3. Review — Wrap up your conversation or presentation with a summary, an action plan, next steps, etc. Go over what you covered, and what was decided as a result.

Use these 3 R’s liberally, and good listenership and respect will soon become traits you’re known for. Not a bad reputation to carry with you through your career.

Most of us don’t typically point towards listening skills when we describe great communicators, or great leaders. Most of the time, we talk about outbound communication skills — decisiveness, strong speaking skills, the ability to make articulate points — when we describe people’s strong communication. But in our collective experience at The Latimer Group, it is the listening skills that are at the foundation of all great outbound communication, and at the foundation of being a great leader, teammate, friend, spouse, parent… great listening is at the heart of all great relationships.

Good luck.

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Does your team:
– Overwhelm the audience with too much detail?
– Make things too complicated?
– Fail to ask for what they want or need?

Does your organization:
– Waste time because of poor internal communication?
– Take too long to make decisions?
– Struggle to clarify and frame discussions?

Do your leaders:
– Exhibit poor executive presence?
– Lean on incomplete communication skills?
– Fail to align the organization?

We transform teams and individuals with repeatable toolsets for persuasive communication. Explore training, coaching, and consulting services from The Latimer Group.