Can you hear me now?

As we grow our leadership skills, it’s important to brush up on an often-overlooked skill…listening. Listening is key to building trust and accountability at work. Not listening actively can lead to misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and full-blown conflict.

Why don’t we always listen as well as we should? The simple answer is—life. We are distracted by our thoughts, obligations, and the noise going on in the workplace.

Here’s a simple acronym I like to reference daily to remind me to focus on active listening.

L - Look at the speaker, show interest

I - Involve yourself, stop what you are doing

S - Stay on target, quiet your internal noise

T - Test your understanding, paraphrase

E - Evaluate the message, don’t rush to offer advice

N - Neutralize your emotions, and respond appropriately