Types of Workplace Listening

In a workplace there are several types of listening. Around the workplace you will have people who are fellow colleagues and team members, but you will also have people who are your superiors or even customers which would require you to listen more carefully.

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Listening to you boss is very important because he gives you assignments, instructions, and explanations about how to do your work, and if you're not listening you'd have to ask him/her to repeat the information and they will get an idea of you that you don't pay attention. You must show you are listening by leaning forward and making good eye contact, and make sure to take notes because specific details are hard to remember, don't interrupt, and don't be afraid to ask questions.

When listening to people you work closely with you'd need critical thinking to evaluate what you're hearing, deciding whether the speakers information is on fact, fiction, or his/her personal opinion, and if it's based on logic or his/her emotions. You must let the speaker say everything he/her has to say and remain objective when you disagree. You also need Discriminative listening to understand and remember the information to know its main ideas, understand the argument and realize the reason for it.

In business the phrase 'The customer is always right." goes a long way. Customers like it when employees value their opinions it shows that you care and it makes them feel as if they are making a difference and it makes them feel closer to the company, which in turn results in increased sales and profitability. You'd need to carefully listen to them without interrupting them and to always be nice.