Travel managers need to be able to
do many things. There is however, one free skill that will increase proficiency
and value to your company: the skill of active listening. It is what will
enable you, not just to get the best out of your employees, but also to get the
facts that you need to make a decision. This skill needs to be learnt, so this
post gives you some of the basics to become a better listener.
Attention Focus
This seems obvious at first. You
can’t hear what somebody’s saying if you’re distracted by phone ringing or if
your email keeps pinging. It also means demonstrating to your colleague that
you’re listening. A key part of this is eye contact; it shows that they have
your attention but should not be aggressive.
Non-Verbal
A lot of what’s communicated is not
said. Despite this post being entitled listening, a key part is learning to
understand the non-verbal signals coming from your colleague. It will tell you
about their certainty, confidence and how they are trying to deliver their
message.
Reflection
Showing you’re engaged, by copying
your colleague’s actions, will make it much easier for them to communicate
their message. If they can’t read you, or you’re not registering any reaction –
the classic poker face – they will likely become distracted or lose confidence.
The trick is reflecting a certain amount of their actions; smiling, head
nodding and so on.
Time to Finish
How often has somebody told us what
they think before you’ve delivered our full message? Not allowing colleagues
time to finish their sentences is a sure way of not hearing what they’re
saying. By all means engage with what they’re saying and, where necessary,
constructively steer them but don’t cut them off.
You Don’t Know It All
If you did know everything you would
not need to hear from subordinates. Try and allow a speaker to offer their
conclusions before drawing yours. This can be difficult as we’re not programmed
this way but at the least endeavor to be aware of your prejudices and predispositions.
That way, you really hear what they’ve got to say.
Developing good listening skills is
not easy. On the other hand, it does not need much time or cost much to learn.
If you concentrate on improving one aspect at a time, you’ll quickly find you’re
getting much more out of what your employees and colleagues are saying.
Philadelphia Limousine is a corporate
and luxury ground transportation service that supports private and
business transportation needs in Philadelphia, New Jersey, Delaware and New York.
