Course Outcomes

This listening skills for leaders will:

  • Outline the importance of listening for people in leadership positions.
  • Suggest methods for staying attentive and giving others undivided attention.
  • Outline a process for opening lines of communication.
  • Introduce elements of the Socratic method and its value to leaders.

Course Overview

Many managers and leaders take for granted that they are good listeners. However, these people are often surprised to learn that others don’t feel that they listen as well as they could or should. They solve problems for others instead of coaching them to reach their own conclusions, they assume people have bought into an idea or change before they have, and they miss valuable information that could help them build credibility and learn about their teams. This course addresses listening skills through a leader’s lens. The program examines six essential behaviors, that if put into immediate practice, can improve a person’s ability to listen and lead.

Program Objectives

At this program’s conclusion, participants should be able to:

  • Explain the value leaders can gain from developing their listening skills.
  • Demonstrate attentiveness.
  • Describe the importance of recognizing different states of mind.
  • Ask a range of questions.
  • Practice several techniques for staying engaged.
  • Demonstrate reflective listening.

The following outline highlights some of the course’s key learning points. As part of your training program, we will modify content as needed to meet your business objectives. Upon request, we will provide you with a copy of the participant materials prior to the session(s).

Workshop Outline

Show What You Know: An Exploration of Myths, Facts, and Opinions

This course begins with an overview of listening and its importance to leaders. Following that discussion, participants will evaluate several statements and determine whether they are myths, facts, or opinions.

Quiet and Attentive: The Importance of Undivided Attention

These days, undivided attention is a rare commodity. However, it’s an essential skill for leaders to learn. In this program segment, we will consider the importance of focus and how to reduce distractions and be attentive.

Open Lines: Building Rapport

“The manager was blindsided. She just never saw it coming.” “I don’t know why he didn’t know what was going on. People talked about it for two weeks.”  Leaders miss a lot if they don’t establish and maintain formal and informal lines of communication with the people around them. This part of the course explores rapport, relationships, and steps leaders can take to ensure communication is two way and occurs on a regular basis.

Who’s Talking: Three People In One

Leaders who listen well know that people respond and react on three levels. They also know they cannot approach a person who is in survival mode with logic and reason. Instead, they must first meet a series of more basic needs. This workshop segment looks at listening as a tactic for moving people from one state and one point of view to another.

Ask Good Questions: Teaching and Preaching 

Great leaders are teachers. This part of the course focuses on questioning skills and how to use questions to discover a range of information, feelings, and attitudes about a certain subject. Through a series of exercises and case studies, participants will practice their questioning skills to achieve a variety of objectives.

Engaged: Ideas for Staying Focused

Staying engaged can be difficult, especially when one considers the rate at which people can think versus the rate at which people speak. There is a lot of time available for the mind to wander if it is not disciplined. This part of the workshop explores tips and tricks for focusing and giving others undivided attention.

Recognizing Feelings: Paying Attention to Emotion

Reflective listening is about understanding the facts and feelings another person communicates. In this final module, we will explore the benefits of reflective listening, dos and don’ts for listening reflectively, dangers to avoid, and language to incorporate.

By the end of this training program, participants will understand how to leverage listening skills to improve their ability to communicate, build trust, and lead others.