We are all entrepreneurs
June 29, 2025
Personal Branding: not for the weak hearted
July 10, 2025
Successful careerists and leaders have their secrets. One of them is active listening. In this day and age, listening attentively is becoming progressively harder as there is just too much noise around all of us at work. Noise of any kind that real leaders just manage to block out to be efficient.
Like everything else, excelling at active listening takes practice and time. We can start by..
…letting people complete their sentences
First of all, not interrupting proves you respect your team. Secondly, it allows you to really understand what your colleagues want to say. If you have a reputation for interrupting, people will be aiming at concluding their thoughts without thinking what they need to say through. This encourages a vicious circle of lack of understanding, lack of communication, dissatisfaction among your team and possible disappointment from you regarding your team’s ability to communicate.
…listen with your eyes
Non verbal communication is key especially when feelings are involved. By being sensitive to your team’s non verbal communication, your colleagues feel that you are in touch with them and that their feelings are important to you. In addition to that, the more introvert ones will feel that they still have the ability to communicate with you on a different level without missing out.
…symmarising
This is a counselling tool, which is great for increasing understanding and enhancing communication. By making short summaries of what someone said we can make sure we have understood their point of view and we confirm we have been listening.
To conclude
Let’s not forget that the people we work with, know us very well. This is why their feedback and their comments about our personal brands are so important. When we are really in a hurry, when we are really tired or when we know that the point they are making is not relevant, then it is best to tell them the truth with care and respect. I am sure they will listen carefully.
Until next week take good care of your career.
Like everything else, excelling at active listening takes practice and time. We can start by..
…letting people complete their sentences
First of all, not interrupting proves you respect your team. Secondly, it allows you to really understand what your colleagues want to say. If you have a reputation for interrupting, people will be aiming at concluding their thoughts without thinking what they need to say through. This encourages a vicious circle of lack of understanding, lack of communication, dissatisfaction among your team and possible disappointment from you regarding your team’s ability to communicate.
…listen with your eyes
Non verbal communication is key especially when feelings are involved. By being sensitive to your team’s non verbal communication, your colleagues feel that you are in touch with them and that their feelings are important to you. In addition to that, the more introvert ones will feel that they still have the ability to communicate with you on a different level without missing out.
…symmarising
This is a counselling tool, which is great for increasing understanding and enhancing communication. By making short summaries of what someone said we can make sure we have understood their point of view and we confirm we have been listening.
To conclude
Let’s not forget that the people we work with, know us very well. This is why their feedback and their comments about our personal brands are so important. When we are really in a hurry, when we are really tired or when we know that the point they are making is not relevant, then it is best to tell them the truth with care and respect. I am sure they will listen carefully.
Until next week take good care of your career.
