Are you Listening???

Now a days if you look around, you will find lots of people spending money on education. But is that sufficient?? Spending money at something and expecting it to happen. Unfortunately that is the kind of mentality that most of us have grown up with. But does it help?? You go to a saloon... give him the money and ask him to cut your hair… will that be enough?? Will he be able to cut your hair as you have imagined??

The answer is NO, it won't happen… You need to tell the barber how exactly you want your hair to be cut. In case you don't know how you want to get your hair cut, you may have to look around or you may have to refer to someone who's haircut you want to have. Because that is how it works, you need to know what you want.

What I am trying to say is very simple… Investing into something and waiting for it to happen by itself is not sufficient. Before investing into something you need to know what exactly you want from it and what you are trying to achieve.

Let's take an example, I think MBA would be perfect. I have seen people coming from different background and joining this course. Which is good.. Course is very demanding, and its a good value addition for people coming from any background.

However, the situation has not changed. People are still the same. They have paid the money and they are expecting things to happen by themselves. Attending the classes and expecting the faculty to answer all the questions without them asking the questions. Sitting in the exam without preparation and expecting for the grades to shoot up by itself. Getting the degree and expecting some company to hire them on that basis. Now if you see consciously you will find out, that people are not putting the amount of effort which is very much required and necessary for the completion of MBA.

Where are we lacking?? What extra does it demand?? What can be done so that everyone can learn?? What can be done so that everyone can come to a minimum standard to become employable?? Have you ever thought about it??

If you want to cut the chase and want to get the full return on your investment (MBA). Start "LISTENING". It is been said that "How well you listen has a major impact on your job effectiveness, and on the quality of your relationship with others".

Listening is a skill that we all can benefit from improving, however the importance of it increases when we talk about us, the management students. By becoming a better listener we can improve our productivity as well as ability to influence, persuade and negotiate. What's more, we can avoid conflict and misunderstandings. All these traits are necessary for workplace success as we are about to enter into it.

Tips to increase your listening skills

1. Pay attention: - Give the speaker your undivided attention, and acknowledge the message. Recognize that non-verbal communication also "speaks" loudly.

2. Show that you are listening: - Use your own body language and gestures to convey your attention.

3. Provide feedback - Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments, and beliefs can distort what we hear. As a listener, your role is to understand what is being said. This may require you to reflect what is being said and ask questions.

4. Defer judgment - Interrupting is a waste of time. It frustrates the speaker and limits full understanding of the message.

5. Respond Appropriately. - Active listening is a model for respect and understanding. You are gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking the speaker or otherwise putting him or her down.

Few Tips to consider

1. If you find yourself responding emotionally to what someone said, say so, and ask for more information: "I may not be understanding you correctly, and I find myself taking what you said personally. What I thought you just said is XXX; is that what you meant?".

2. It takes a lot of concentration and determination to be an active listener. Old habits are hard to break, and if your listening habits are as bad as many people's are, then there's a lot of habit-breaking to do!

3. Be deliberate with your listening and remind yourself frequently that your goal is to truly hear what the other person is saying.

4. Ask questions, reflect, and paraphrase to ensure you understand the message. If you don't, then you'll find that what someone says to you and what you hear can be amazingly different!

5. Start using active listening today to become a better communicator, improve your workplace productivity, and develop better relationships.

This is the basic need that all of us require. If you can excel in it, you don't have to worry about the return on investment.