Be a Better Listener to Get More Done at the Office

Not many of us want to admit that we may be poor listeners, but the proof may surround you every day at work. If you find your coworkers asking you the same questions repeatedly, or you respond to email without reading it, you're probably missing something. Fortunately, being a better communicator isn't difficult.

Web Worker Daily argues that a great deal of productivity is lost to resolving miscommunications and arguments among colleagues that could have been avoided if each party had simply paid more attention to what was said and when. They point out that ineffective communicators are usually the ones who skip meetings, figuring someone will fill them in later, and the ones who reply to a message with multiple questions in it but only answer one of them.

Being a better communicator usually means you just have to slow down a little and make sure you completely understand what you're being told. It helps to make sure you're clear with the person who's speaking to you that you understand what they're saying and you didn't miss anything. They also propose combining your written tasks into one time where you can focus on them and actually read what someone's sent you, and only then formulate a response.

Avoiding miscommunication at the office can give you more time to actually get your work done, and less time sitting in meetings where everyone rehashes an email thread that went off the rails. What are some of the ways you stay productive and avoid those pitfalls? Share your suggestions in the comments. Photo by Ky.

Be a Better Listener to Get More Done at the Office

Get more Done by Being a Better Listener | Web Worker Daily
