Active Listening
Posted on October 08, 2024 by Sameer Dalvi, One of Thousands of Leadership Coaches on Noomii.
Listening is much more than having an auditory stimulus..
“Listening is not done by the ears,but by the mind.We hear sounds,but we LISTEN,to meanings”-W.Meissner
A lot has been written about listening at deeper levels,generational listening.It has been brought into focus on organizational and leadership levels as well,as a sense to fine tune,in order to better working styles and environments. However,it would be a good time to pause and reflect as to what makes,deeper listening,important. Mankind,like a few other mammals,has evolved to be social beings and in the scale of evolution,has discovered for themselves,that there is strength in numbers.This strength,can be further amplified,if there is effective communication,which then cements the feeling of togetherness and safety. Listening,ergo,is pivotal in developing inclusion within groups,be it,family or workplace.Reversing this,not listening well,make people feel excluded.They develop a percpetion,that they are not being heard and are therefore,not part of the group,marginalized and hence unsafe. Perhaps,now,that listening is well and truly in focus,this awareness should be leveraged to broaden the boundaries to some other senses too,in order to recognize ,person/people,as WHOLE. Maintaining eye contact,also,gives a person,the feeling,that the other person is engaged/engaging,with them.Non verbal cues around body language could also give a sense of empathy and belonging. Perhaps,it is a utopian wish list,for a work place in Shangri-La BUT,if there is an ideal that can be visualized,then it can surely be manifested.What are your thoughts?
I am a ICF credentialled coach,passionate about transformation.If you would like to discuss inclusion at your workplace,please DM.
