The Importance of Listening to Others
I recently shared with one of my coaching groups some important coaching tips to help them learn active listening skills even if they hold opposing viewpoints with others. The subject came up after a client had shared their own experience about a leader who never took the time to listen and how that created distance and division within the company.
This ultimately led to the organization’s downfall and sadly the boss in charge blamed the team rather than taking any responsibility.
When you disagree with someone, likely, you don't want to waste your time listening to their viewpoints.
Although listening to something you disagree with isn't always fun, it is important to your future for several reasons. Especially when it comes to those we work alongside and others we are in meaningful relationships with. Even when it gets complicated to hear them out.
REASON #1: You’ll Learn Something New
When you take the time to listen to someone else and their perspective on situations, you are exposed to thoughts that don't exist in your mind and perspectives you may not have considered before. Even though you may not like what you are hearing, you often learn to consider different vantage points about a subject.
This also helps expand your mind to be more accepting of new thoughts, ideas, opinions, and mindsets which could help you become a more compassionate person, effective leader, and successful business owner.
REASON #2 Listening Helps You Develop Patience
As previously mentioned, being able to sit there and listen to someone you don’t agree with is difficult. You will have to practice patience. If you haven’t already developed the necessary patience for this task, just the practice of listening to others more often will help you to develop that. If you find you are struggling with the task, try to remember you are listening to learn something new not just to respond back. You can also listen with the intent to ask questions. This will help you focus on the words the other person is saying more carefully. It’ll also convey that you are genuinely interested in what the speaker is saying thereby building more trust and respect within the relationship.
REASON #3 You Expand Your Network
People love it when others listen to what they have to say, it makes them feel important. When you take the time to listen to someone else, even though you may not agree with what they are saying, you make that person feel better about themselves. And this can help you make a new friend or important connection. This can help you on your path to success in the future as you never know when you may need to know someone in a certain field or area of study. And hey, expanding your network is always a good idea. Listening creates a deeper connection and often teaches you so much more about the way others think, feel, and believe.
Overall, listening to someone else who has an opposing viewpoint from yourself will never be an easy task. Whether you’re a boss leading a set of employees, an entrepreneur leading a team, or a parent or partner, listening keeps the relationship fresh, cultivating a sense of appreciation, respect and value.
When you resolve to listen to someone else, this helps teach you new perspectives and further develops your patience. It makes you a wiser human being as well. Not only that, but it also helps you to grow your knowledge, which could provide unmeasured value to you in the future.
Thus, it's time to learn how to listen to others sooner rather than later if you want to succeed in life.
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