This post was written by Dan Cooney, Director of Coaching and Senior Facilitator at The Latimer Group.
Can you be a good communicator without being a good listener? The answer is an emphatic NO. In this episode, The Latimer Group’s Dean Brenner, Amy Fenollosa and Dan Cooney talk about why improving your listening skills and tuning in to your audience and situation will vastly improve your results as a communicator.
Hearing is automatic. You don’t have to be paying attention at 3 AM to hear the baby cry, but to listen to your colleagues at your 3 PM meeting is definitely a choice. You have to respect the situation and decide to “show up” and listen. Many of us have a plan for what we are going to say at that 3 pm meeting but not many of us have a plan for listening. “We all need to listen better” is a business cliché, but as our distractions dramatically multiply, our listening skills have never been more important to the persuasive communicator. Enjoy the podcast!
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My main take away is to stay aware of changes in communication delivery with your coworkers and team. I like the application of the word “AGILITY” in the context of communication. You have to be continuous in this awareness to be suscessful fundamentally in communication.
Glad you liked it Bill! Have a great day.
My main take away that I thought was extremely important was to take a few minutes to yourself away from emails, text etc. prior to a meeting or a conversation so you can focus on what is at hand. Be there physically and mentally.
Yes! Thanks Carol. Happy new year!
Being prepared will help to give you confidence and put you at ease when presenting. Be aware of your audience, watch their body language, and be willing to make adjustments and switch things up to keep your audience engaged.
My take a way to improve my communication skills:
A- Bring the best from everybody around the table.
B- Not only how well you listening, but what are you listening for.
My main takeaway was being organized and prepared for the meeting will give you the confidence to communicate effectively.
Excellent takeaway! Thanks for listening.
I agree, being organized is key
Organization leads to so many other good outcomes. Thanks for reading.
Having a few moments to yourself allows you to get your thoughts together before presenting.
Totally agree! A quiet mind is almost always a good thing.
My take away is to take a few minutes to yourself think about the meeting and to listen to the responses and to the body language.
Thanks Bob. Good take aways!
My takeaway is to be a more engaged listener.
Good takeaway!