Jignesh Barasara as a business entrepreneur very well knows the importance of being a better listener as a leader. He himself took a certain amount of time to become one. And, since he is so active in grooming the young entrepreneurs therefore he has shared a few tips to become a great listener leader. In today’s world, the one thing that we all often end up compromising is effective communication which includes both speaking and listening. This further increases the importance of communication between leaders and their respective colleagues. Effective communication between the leader and his colleagues is a direct contributor to the growth of the individual as well as the organisation. And, this can only be achieved when people have the right platform and the freedom to express themselves. This practice involves following a culture of listening. It can help a great deal in bypassing any issues, giving praises and motivating employees, therefore making the workplace more productive.
Listening as a soft skill may not give you rewards right away, but will prove to be extremely beneficial in the long run. In this article, we will be discussing some of the most effective tips given by Jignesh Barasara in order to improve your listening skills as a leader.
Leaders lead by example:
If you practice what you preach, your colleagues would not only admire you but will also take up your teachings seriously. For example, if you ask your employees to go with open communication, but you yourself do not. Then, it will do more damage than good. This rather will develop a defensive behaviour among your colleagues. Therefore, in order to develop a transparent culture it is very important that you must have effective communication with each of your colleagues.
Reflect upon your actions:
Allowing the employees to express their feedback is very important. Feedback of the employees is extremely important to enhance growth and development. It helps managers a great deal to continuously improve themselves by listening to, accepting problems and together finding a resolve for any particular issue.
Give them time and space:
The worst you can do is to rush your employees to provide you with the required feedback. Some answers need time and space, not immediate response. Whenever you are listening to your employees, you should be all ears. No other noise or any kinds of distractions should be a part of that communication.
Questioning:
While you are interacting with your colleagues, it is very important that you keep asking questions in between, so that the employee feels that you are actively listening to him or her. But, make sure that you ask relevant questions and you ask them at the right time. Asking relevant questions will always help you to keep the communication on track.
Paraphrasing is important:
At the end of the conversation, make sure that both you and your colleague are on the same page. This will also make your employees realise that you have been listening to them with complete attention for all this while. You can paraphrase by mentioning the key points.
Body language is important:
Body language plays a very vital role in being an active listener. Some key parts of body language that help in being a good listener are eye contact, gestures and your posture. These play a vital role in ensuring that your employees are extremely comfortable, while talking to you. Your sitting posture reveals a lot about how you are receiving the information from the other end.
Conclusion:
In order to be a great listener as a leader, you would have to practice the above given tips daily. That’s only when you will be able to establish yourself as a great leader who listens extremely well.
