Read Time: 4 minutes

In This Weeks Leadership Toolbox:

Apply: 4 critical listening techniques (for work and home)

Practice: 1 digital tool to practice better communication

Learn: 2 curated resources for further learning

Introduction

We spend nearly half our communication time listening, but 90% are considered ‘poor listeners’.

So in this weeks issue, I’d like to help you get in the top 10%.

Let’s jump in…

Apply: 4 Critical Listening Techniques

1. Active Listening:

   • Scenario: In a team meeting discussing project challenges.

     • Option A (Non-Active Listening): You nod occasionally while checking your phone, only half-listening.

     • Option B (Active Listening): You maintain eye contact, paraphrase the speaker’s points, and ask relevant questions to deepen understanding.

2. Empathic Listening:

   • Scenario: A colleague is upset about a missed deadline.

     • Option A (Non-Empathic Listening): You immediately offer solutions or share a similar story of your own, overshadowing their feelings.

     • Option B (Empathic Listening): You recognize their frustration, validate their feelings, and mirror emotions to show genuine understanding and support.

3. Reflective Listening:

   • Scenario: Your partner discusses their stressful day at work.

     • Option A (Non-Reflective Listening): You listen but then switch topics to your own day’s events.

     • Option B (Reflective Listening): You reflect on what they’ve said, offering paraphrased feedback to show you truly grasp the situation, promoting a deeper connection.

4. Appreciative Listening:

   • Scenario: A team member shares a successful project outcome.

     • Option A (Non-Appreciative Listening): You acknowledge quickly and move on to the next agenda item.

     • Option B (Appreciative Listening): You celebrate their success, express genuine appreciation, and encourage a positive dialogue about their achievements.

Reflect on your behavior during conversations.

If you find yourself aligning with Option A, it's time to make a change.

Start integrating active, empathic, reflective, and appreciative listening into your daily interactions.

You’ll deepen your connections with family and become a more effective collaborator at work.

Practice: Poised

Sidenote: I am not sponsored or affiliated with poised.

So we've covered how to nail the 45% of our time spent listening, but what about when it's our turn to speak?

I asked myself this question and in search of the answer, I came across Poised.

What It Is: Poised is an AI-powered communication coach designed to help professionals improve their speaking skills during online meetings.

Features:

• Real-Time Feedback: Poised provides immediate feedback on aspects like pace, clarity, filler words, and engagement levels, helping you refine your communication style on the spot.

• Personalized Coaching: The tool offers tailored exercises and actionable tips based on your speaking habits, encouraging continuous improvement in your communication skills.

• Progress Tracking: Monitor your communication growth over time with detailed analytics and insights, allowing you to see how your speaking abilities evolve.

How to Use Poised for Better Communication:

1. Integration: Seamlessly integrate Poised with your preferred online meeting platforms (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet).

2. Active Engagement: During meetings, keep Poised running in the background to receive live feedback and suggestions.

3. Review and Reflect: Post-meeting, review the analysis provided by Poised to understand your strengths and areas for improvement.

4. Continuous Learning: Regularly engage with the personalized coaching sessions and practice exercises recommended by Poised to systematically build your communication prowess.

Why Poised? Poised acts as your virtual mentor, guiding you to communicate with confidence and authority.

Whether you're leading a team meeting, pitching to clients, or participating in a webinar, Poised equips you with the skills to make every word count.

Advice is one thing but having access to 24/7 feedback on your communication skills will10x your rate of improvement.

Be sure to give poised a go and let me know what you think by replying to this email or tagging me @rogermarkthompson on LinkedIn!

Learn

If you enjoyed this week issue and want to research more into listening effectively, I recommend checking out the following resources:

1. [PositivePsychology.com] offers a collection of worksheets and tools to build better communication skills, focusing on self-monitoring and understanding others' expressions.

2. [MindTools.com] provides a comprehensive guide designed to improve verbal, listening, writing, and online communication.

Highlights: This Week On LinkedIn

In case you missed it, I curated a guide of my top ‘8 Proven Leadership Practices’ on LinkedIn and it hosted some brilliant conversations inside our community.

To read the full guide, click here.

Be sure to let me know what you think by tagging @rogermarkthompson in the comments!

Summary

TL;DR:

Apply

• Active Listening

• Empathic Listening

• Reflective Listening

• Appreciative Listening

Practice

• Poised.com

Learn

• [positivepsychology.com]

• [mindtools.com]

Thanks for reading this far!

Until next time,

Founder of The UnThinkable

P.S.

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P.P.S.

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