Tip: Should you be a cheerleader or content sponge?
Good listening skills are usually referred to as “active listening,” but we like this new term, “adaptive listening.”
Communication expert, Nancy Duarte, in this MIT Sloan Review article says we all have a "default listening style" but "great listeners adapt the way they listen in each situation to help the person speaking accomplish their goals and meet their needs.”
She identifies four styles of Adaptive Listening and the key phrases you hear that can help you determine how you should respond.
1. Immerse - When you hear, "'I’m here to give you an update today,' or 'This is important for you to know,' that’s your cue to be an immersive listener.” You are simply a “content sponge”.
2. Discern - When you hear someone say they are looking for feedback or is confused about something, then you know you should provide suggestions or alternative ideas to help them with their problem.
3. Advance - When you hear, “We need to make a decision on this,” or, “I don’t know how I’m going to get this project done,” that’s your signal to give them a decision or find them help to get the project completed.
4. Support - When someone says, “I’m having a horrible day,” or, “I have the best news,” your response should be to acknowledge and mirror the speaker’s feelings. "You are the confidant or the cheerleader".
SHEPA LEARNING COMPANY WEEKLY POSITIVE NETWORKING® TIP
No. 993, January 18, 2023
By Gayle Hallgren and Judy Thomson