March is National Listening Awareness Month. Let’s use this opportunity to think about how well we listen to each other.
Good listening is more than just hearing words. It means understanding what someone else is saying, both their words and their feelings. When we listen well and use active listening, we build stronger relationships, avoid misunderstandings, and work together more effectively.
Active listening helps us solve problems faster and support our colleagues better. Here are some key steps to help you improve your listening:Be fully present
- Pay attention to non-verbal cues
- Show you are listening
- Ask open-ended questions
- Summarize and paraphrase
- Resist offering immediate solutions
- Be patient
We have a new Active Listening Toolkit on the Communicating Effectively wiki on UCOR Hub. There you’ll find a self-assessment and information to help you practice your listening skills.
We all benefit when we listen more carefully. Let’s make this month a time to improve our listening and strengthen our team.
