Many people in business admit they need to brush up on their listening skills. But are they willing to do it? Whether communicating with colleagues, customers or the boss, about 40% say they could be better listeners, a new SmartBrief on Leadership survey found.
When asked, “How good of listener are you?” respondents said:
- I’m great — I hear the spoken and the unspoken (16%)
- I’m good — I pick up on them majority of issues discussed (43%)
- I’m OK — I could do better and I sometimes miss things (36%)
- I’m weak — I tend to talk more than I listen (4%)
- I’m terrible — I make folks feel like I’m a brick wall (1%)
Most contact center pros are great or good. But we’re all OK from time to time, especially when there are so many distractions around us every day.
To stay more focused, remove distractions (cell phone, unnecessary computer screens and programs, newspapers and paperwork) from your work area. Also, position yourself so you can’t see (potentially distracting) people come by your work area.
