Imagine the following scenario: There is someone in your work that would benefit greatly from an effective communication course. He talks mostly to hear himself think. When you are communicating with him, his eyes wander and you know he is truly not listening to what you are saying. You find that you have to repeat yourself often because he hasn’t heard your first version. He clearly has a problem listening. You come into work Monday morning only to find out, as you gulp, that he is now your boss.
What do you do? This is the person that is responsible for helping you to succeed. This is the leader that needs to understand your strengths and guide you through the difficult obstacles preventing great results. Your new leader is the one that will evaluate your performance at the end of the year. How can he evaluate your competency, if he doesn’t take the time to listen to what you have to say?
[bctt tweet=”The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. George Bernar”]
[bctt tweet=”Communication – the human connection – is the key to personal and career success. Paul J. Meyer “]
How do you get your boss to pay attention?
- During your next one on one conversation, explain exactly what you need from your boss.
- If he interrupts often to push his points across, make sure you review your main points at the end to gain understanding.
- Every once in a while, ask him what he thinks. If he knows he has to give feedback on what he is listening to, he might listen a little harder.
- Effective communication is a two-way street. If you know that the listener has a short attention span, get to the core of the message quicker.
- Are there important points or accomplishments you want to emphasize, try sending an email.
[bctt tweet=”To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others. Tony Robbins”]
If you still feel you are not being heard, try being honest. Hopefully, his lack of listening skills is made up for by his being open to feedback.
Have you ever tried to get your point across to someone who lacked in listening skills? Were you able to succeed?
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