“How can I succeed?” As intelligent, ambitious students, many of you spend lots of time considering which classes and specific skills — from coding to Spanish language — will bring you the most career success. But there are certain less-obvious skills that underpin success in nearly all careers — among the most important are listening and communication.
Learning to read another person’s face, understand their perspective and truly synthesize what they’re saying (rather than just waiting for your turn to speak) will you allow to better collaborate in your study group, project team, political action committee, traveling troupe of acrobats, or wherever else you wish to go in life.
So, in short…
Don’t be like Simon.
Instead, learn...
10 Ways to Get Your Listen On.
Here is a list of 10 ways that will help you become a more effective listener. Read the full article from Forbes here.
- Face the speaker and maintain eye contact
- Be attentive, but relaxed
- Keep an open mind
- Listen to the words and try to picture what the speaker is saying
- Don’t interrupt and don’t impose your “solutions”
- Wait for the speaker to pause to ask clarifying questions
- Ask questions only to ensure understanding
- Try to feel what the speaker is feeling
- Give the speaker regular feedback
- Pay attention to what isn’t said—to nonverbal cues
Media credits: Pifflestick on Cheezburger, Gif 1
