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Issue
2: April 20, 2001
To our readers:
Last month we noted that sixty percent of people who leave jobs
do so because they don't feel valued, respected, or cared for,
not because of low pay. That can translate into significant dollars.
Of the firms surveyed by Gannett News Service recently, 30% said
it costs them an average of $10,000 to replace an employee.
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Brief
Tips #2:
Listening well is a powerful way to show colleagues and employees
you value them. Brief Tips #1 listed four proven techniques for
improving your listening skills. Here are four more:
5.
Want to listen better.
View
listening as a small investment of time and energy that produces
an enormous return in understanding.
6. Hold your fire.
Don't interrupt. Suspend judgement while the person is talking.
Pretend that everything the other person is saying is valid —
it is, in the sense that the other person believes it is —
at least until she or he stops talking. If we allow angry or frustrated
colleagues to ventilate their feelings they will be more open
to listening to our suggestions later in the conversation.
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7.
Don't plan your response while the person is talking.
You need only a few seconds to think about your response before
giving it. The other person will wait for you. There's nothing wrong
with a little silence between that person's words and yours.
8. Overcome distractions.
Ignore noisy surroundings. Fight distractions. Remember how you
feel when you are talking to someone who keeps looking over your
shoulder to see who's coming, or who repeatedly glances out the
window or at the clock. You don't want to make someone else feel
that way. |
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