Generally, most discussions about communication skills revolve around effective speaking, how well you can drive home your point. Leaders are great communicators in all spheres of life, personal or professional, and they are examples of the importance of communication. Leaders are masters in persuading others and can generate a commitment to the vision they uphold. But listening is also an essential component of effective communication. Listening, especially deep listening, is critical during communication. Unless the speaker and listener complement each other, the communication loses its purpose and becomes ineffective. Deep listening is the art of listening intently without being judgmental but fully present with the speaker to understand their viewpoint or experience. So, what are the benefits of deep listening, and why is it so important?
An intro to the question- What are the benefits of deep listening?
Before talking about the benefits of deep listening, it is essential to understand the various facets of communication.
Communication is a complex process – You cannot suddenly turn into a deep listener one day. You must acquire the skills and practice them to become a deep listener. Remember that we are born listeners as it comes to us, usually as part of cognitive development from early childhood. But still, it is not easy to acquire the skills of deep listening. Why? The reason is that communication is a complex exercise. During any communication, a lot of things happen. The speaker does not just utter some words but chooses them carefully to convey their thoughts, feelings, ideas, and intent. The listener then uses a filter to decode the message based on personal beliefs, attitudes, biases, motives, emotions, and life experience.
The communication process is even more complex because experts say that words make up only 11% of communication during face-to-face communication. The tone of the voice constitutes 35%, and the remaining 55% includes body language and other contextual cues.
Against this backdrop, acquiring deep listening skills can be challenging but extremely important because it is not just plain listening but also part of the learning process.
The dimensions of deep listening
Listening is just the tip of the iceberg, while deep listening is like diving into the water to explore the unseen part of the iceberg. To listen deeply, you must focus all your attention on the speaker, which creates a direct connection and helps you see beneath the spoken words. The listener becomes more sensitive to the spoken words and starts exploring the more profound meaning, feelings conveyed, and unspoken needs. The unique listening technique involves the heart and mind, not only the sensory organs that aid hearing. When done correctly, deep listening helps accurately perceive what the speaker is saying and the intent behind it. The listener receives the message in the way the speaker intended that culminates in successful communication.
The takeaways
When you listen deeply to anyone, you see through the spoken words to discover various layers that provide insights and stoke your emotions. It helps to generate empathy and respect because paying rapt attention to the speaker shows affection by carefully weighing every word spoken. By listening deeply, you send positive signals to the speaker about participating in the communication through various facial gestures and body language. The interaction becomes more meaningful as the listener acknowledges the message, which gives more satisfaction to the speaker.
The benefits
One of the most noticeable benefits of deep listening is that it generates instant trust and goodwill between the parties involved in the communication. It develops an instant relationship as the listener attaches importance to what the speaker says and accepts the words without being judgmental by removing biases. When you listen deeply, you will have a better understanding of new ideas and perspectives and understand others. Deep listening helps to gain accurate information and eases the process of decision-making and problem-solving. Others will feel more confident to open up to listeners who pay complete attention.
Now that you know what are the benefits of deep listening, you can start the process of acquiring the skills to be a better listener.
