Career Success For Accountants

Developing Your Listening Skills

Whether you are a manager, leader or team member working across the organisation, listening is a key communication skill. We are all taught to speak and how to write, yet far fewer of us have been taught how to listen effectively. We might have been told to listen by our parents but how many parents actually demonstrated how to listen.

There are a whole host of reasons why we struggle when it comes to listening, including:bullet

Failing to focus

Lack of interest

Complexity in what is being communicated

We like to hear our own voice and opinions

We worry that if we don’t keep speaking we will miss out in getting our point across.

So what specific steps can you take to improve your listening skills?

1. Fully Focus

Give all of your attention to the person who is speaking and focus on really understanding what they are saying and the points they are trying to make.

2. Ask Questions

Asking questions gives a very clear message to the other person that you are listening and they are being heard.

3. Summarise and Clarify

This is a great technique for checking understanding. It is extremely beneficial if the person speaking is talking about something technical or an area that you are unfamiliar with. It can also be useful when handling difficult situations like a staffing issue. It might sound something like, so what I think I heard was x, is that right?

4. Minimise interruptions

Resist the temptation to keep interrupting people. You can simply ask them if now is a good point to make some points in response to what they have said.

Bottom Line – Some simple changes can make a significant impact on your listening skills.

Duncan Brodie helps accountants and professionals build their management, leadership and interpersonal skills in order to successfully climb the career ladder.

About the Author Duncan Brodie

Since 2006 I’ve worked with in excess of 8,000 accountants and professionals in workshops, seminars and one to one helping them land their next jobs and become better leaders, presenters and business partners. Before that I spent 25 years in accountancy climbing the career ladder from Payments Clerk to FD. I’m a CIMA Fellow, Certified Professional Coach and Team Coach Facilitator.

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Leave a Comment:

6 comments
Ei Myat Phyoe says 23 August 2023

To improve listening skills

Reply
Comprar prestance en Asunción says 17 November 2023

Hey would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re working with?

I’m planning to start my own blog in the near
future but I’m having a hard time making a
decision between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.
The reason I ask is because your layout seems
different then most blogs and I’m looking for something completely unique.
P.S Apologies for being off-topic but I had to
ask!

Reply
aldara acheter en Suisse says 19 November 2023

Have you ever considered publishing an e-book or guest authoring
on other websites? I have a blog based on the same ideas you discuss and would really like to have
you share some stories/information. I know my subscribers would appreciate your work.
If you are even remotely interested, feel free to send me an e-mail.

Reply
Freiverkauf von Medikamenten in Belgien says 20 November 2023

There’s certainly a great deal to know about this issue.
I really like all of the points you made.

Reply
prijs van farlutal in Amsterdam says 8 December 2023

If you want to get a good deal from this article then you have to apply such techniques to your won weblog.

Reply
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