The Art of Listening & Its Ties To Success

In the often-hectic work environment that COVID-19 and the ‘work from home’ order have left us in, it can be challenging to maintain consistent and productive conversations. Within your company or department, the importance of clear communication and listening cannot be understated. But the year of 2020 certainly taught us: Things are not always as easy as they seem. Learning to listen and listen well builds a healthy work culture in trust, empathy, and positive exchanges.

“Talk, and you’ll have a tough time winning. Listen, and you’ll have a tough time losing.” – Dan Whitfield

In an article for Talent Culture, writer Cyndy Trivella shared eight ways to enhance your listening skills. We break down a few of her key points and some important notes from our friends at the Forbes Coaches Council.

Allow for Silence

Have you noticed how frustrating it can be to get ‘cut off’ in conversation? No one likes the person who is continually interrupting to ramble on with his/her thoughts. This interruption gives the perception that the only opinion you value is yours. To be a good listener, you must allow the speaker time to collect their thoughts. Showing patience in conversation allows for more productive outcomes only by improving each other’s state of mind. We often think faster than we speak, but not every pause in a conversation needs to be filled with our immediate feedback. 

Learning to allow for silence will allow you to learn how others feel, think, and work. Forbes Coaches Council author Dan Whitfield recalls some of the best advice with the ’80/20′ rule: Allowing a potential or current client to do 80% of the talking leads to an 80% success rate for sale. “Talk, and you’ll have a tough time winning. Listen, and you’ll have a tough time losing.”

Repeat Back in Your Own Words

Rather than quickly providing feedback to the speaker, we can more effectively digest their words by stating it back to them. Being able to repeat back their key points and reasoning shows that you were actively listening rather than merely waiting for them to finish talking. Additionally, allowing the speaker to feel heard will, in return, make them more receptive to your feedback.

Ask Relevant Questions

Simply asking questions does not illustrate the proper art of listening, especially if the matter were to lead them to repeat something previously stated. Be sure to take mental notes throughout each point of conversation or even written notes for your workplace meetings. Asking open-ended questions will prompt further discussion, but your goal should never be to control a narrative or retort someone’s opinion. Instead, you should aim to gain a new understanding and perspective of the topic at hand.

Work Toward Empathy

Have you ever felt afraid or nervous to speak up in a workplace meeting? We’ve all been there, and part of being a good listener starts with taking away this fear from your employees/co-workers. Being empathic to the speaker begins with intentionality – to put yourself in their shoes. By providing affirmation to their thoughts and understanding of their feelings, you help calm their nerves and enhance comfortability. 

“I often like to joke that if God had wanted us to talk more than listen, he would have given us two mouths.” – Ken Blanchard

Wrap Up

Communication is key. Why? Because good listeners make the best leaders. Ken Blanchard doesn’t only recommend learning more about the ‘art of listening,’ but to consider it a skill that you must practice every day. Cyndy Trivella ends her article best: “A little understanding can go a long way in terms of collaboration, trust, and productivity.”


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Setting Up An Effective Remote Workspace

Are you one of the many individuals drastically impacted by COVID-19 and all its complications? According to SHRM’s COVID-19 Business Index, 64% of U.S. employees are currently working remotely. With the massive shift to the virtual working world, it’s not easy to maintain productivity and passion for your work. 

Are you struggling to maintain focus throughout your workdays? Although being forced to work from home was beyond your control, there are still elements you CAN control for a productive workday. 

Clear the Clutter

First and foremost, identify your needs. Sort through your essentials and remove the unnecessary items, papers, or trash. If possible, now is the time to move on from the kitchen table or living room coffee table. Do you have room for a desk area containing your computer, monitors, and notepads? If you are a part of the 41% of Americans wishing to return to the office, explore the option of recreating your workspace. Find a time to retrieve elements from your in-office setup, i.e., your monitor, decor, chair, or even desk.

Additionally, your organizational capabilities are not limited to your physical surroundings, but the data on your computer as well. Chances are, many of the folders and documents saved to your desktop can be removed. You can designate time to rid yourself of your ‘digital trash’ and create more space on your computer.

Create a Schedule and Stick to It

Identify your biggest hurdles and set a game plan to overcome them. When possible, maintain your regular business hours, set your alarm and get up early. This medium is your best shot at staying productive while maintaining a work-life balance. Working remotely is not an excuse for allowing your level of communication to dip. Clear, honest, and consistent communication within your team and company is critical to staying productive. For example, if your team held weekly meetings every Tuesday and Thursday at 9:00 a.m., emphasize getting them back up and running.

For an example of what it looks like to map out an entire day in advance, check out this article from The Muse’s Susie Moore, who has over six years of work-from-home experience.

“Our estimate is that 25-30% of the workforce will be working-from-home multiple days a week by the end of 2021.” -Kate Lister, President of Global Workplace Analytics

Block out the Distractions

Establish boundaries sooner rather than later. While it is encouraged to create time for coffee or lunch hangouts, it needs to dissolve at just that. Make it clear to your friends and family that despite being at home, you are at work. However, don’t allow your workload to push you into the evening too often. After your shift, be sure to dedicate time to see them elsewhere. Skipping out too many times can result in feelings of career burnout and ‘bottled up’ thoughts. 

If you know yourself to be easily distracted by phone applications such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, or ESPN, shut off these notifications on your phone during the workday.

High-Speed Internet

Are you content with the speed and efficiency of your internet connection? Are you the only one using it during the workday? No matter what your role may be, a speedy and stable connection is critical to staying productive and efficient in your daily routine. If you are sharing usage with a roommate or your spouse/children and have experienced moments of lagging, it may be time for an upgrade. If you are required to work from home and feel your broadband connection is lackluster, reach out to your manager/boss to help accommodate. After all, your employer wants to set you up with the best chance to perform your best and remain efficient.

Self-Care

When taking care of your mind and body, it is crucial to dedicate time to physical and mental exercises. Step outside, stay limber and give your mind a break during the workday. For myself, this looks like dedicating a block of time to morning stretches and light, in-home workouts. Are you taking advantage of your employer’s resources to combat mental stress or fatigue? If you have not received any, reach out to a superior to make this happen.

Further, finding a new hobby or developing a new skill can help fill the gaps in your daily routine before COVID-19. Courtesy of the Miami Herald, here are some of the most popular across the country: Reading, online games, sewing, crocheting, puzzles, card games, instruments, DIY projects, and at-home workouts.

Another great way to give your mind a break is to make plans outside your home for lunch. Whether it is alone, with a loved one, or catching up with a friend, eating lunch away from the desk can renew your energy and creativity after the busy morning. If you are unable to find the time and location to meet up, utilize video chatting services such as Zoom, FaceTime, or Facebook Messenger.

Wrap Up

Setting yourself up for success in your ‘home office’ begins with intentionality. Remove the non-essentials from your workspace and follow a consistent schedule. Establishing boundaries with your friends and family is vital, but setting blocks of time to ‘check-in’ is critical to your mental health. Courtesy of a recent global study by Qualtrics, over 40% of employees said their mental health has declined since the COVID-19 outbreak began. For more great tips and resources to alleviate stress/anxiety and improve your overall well-being, click here.

Remote Working Statistics

  • “56% of the U.S. workforce holds a job that is compatible (at least partially) with remote work.” (Global Workplace Analytics)
  • “Before the crisis, surveys repeatedly showed that 80% of employees want to work from home at least some of the time.” (Global Workplace Analytics)
  • “Work-at-home will save U.S. employers over $30 Billion a day in what would have otherwise been lost productivity during office closures due to COVID-19” (Global Workplace Analytics)
  • “88% of organizations have encouraged or required their employees to work from home”.” (Gartner, Coronavirus in Mind: Make Remote Work Successful)

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How to Answer “What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?” 

No one can express why you are qualified for a job better than you. If you are getting ready for your first interview with a potential employer, it is safe to anticipate more simple questions than complicated ones. However, a straightforward question, such as identifying your greatest accomplishment, still requires an elaborate answer.

While there is no ‘wrong answer’ in revealing your greatest accomplishment, a lackluster response could prove costly to your chances at the job. Your interviewer does not want to hear an over-personalized, watered-down approach that results in the listing of your day-to-day activities. Instead, he or she wants to listen to a compelling story with specific examples and key learning points.

With the help of our friends Rebecca Kraus and Alison Doyle, we highlight a few critical tips you need to review before your next interview.

Identify Your Accomplishment

Don’t simply blurt out the first thought that comes to mind. Utilize this time to meditate and have multiple responses prepared. Keep your answers specific and recent. This is your opportunity to stand out amongst a pool of qualified candidates, so it’s best to keep your response career-oriented rather than over-personalized. Sorry to say, but your interviewer will not find it unique that you found your soulmate, had a child, or broke a record for your high-school sports team.

From there, ensure your story aligns with the job description at hand. For example, if you are applying for an engineering role in the IT industry, your interviewer will not find value in the fact that you implemented a new layout for your local grocery store as much as an interviewer for an Event Coordinator role.

Consider The STAR Approach

Once you have your story, the most foolproof method for sharing your answer is implementing the STAR approach – Situation, Task, Action, Results. These four steps will allow you to walk through all the basic interview questions without rambling on. You can get your best stories out there and take advantage of every opportunity to connect with your interviewer, but leave it up to them to ask you for more details.

The STAR approach is defined as:

  • Situation – Set the story and provide all the necessary details of your example.
  • Task – Describe the responsibility given to you and, if applicable, how it’s tied to an overarching goal
  • Action – Thoroughly explain what steps you took and WHY.
  • Results – Reveal how the outcome was for the greater good of the company, not just yourself.

For a full breakdown of this method’s framework and real-life examples, check out these articles from The Muse and The Balance Careers.

Don’t Get Cute

Take this question seriously rather than making light of conversation through an attempted humorous approach. Don’t play the victim card. Your answer should undoubtedly portray yourself in a positive light, but be sure your story does not degrade a co-worker or manager. Your interviewer does not want to hear how you found success despite being micromanaged or how you carried the workload for an incompetent co-worker.

Avoid unnecessary details. Make sure your answer offers direct evidence as to why you are fit for the role at hand. No matter how qualified you may be for the position, always express a strong willingness to learn and take on new assignments. If your story portrays you merely as a delegator rather than an inspirer and achiever, your readiness level will not shine through. Illustrate confidence in your accomplishments and ensure that your actions reflect the proper signs of a leader.

Wrap Up

Avoid the cliché response to the cliché questions.

It can be uncomfortable and quite challenging to tout your accomplishments while maintaining a sense of humility and professionalism. Still, your interviewer won’t know the impact you’ve had until you share it with them. Often, the best route is to write out a story of triumph in advance and incorporate action verbs that define leadership. Practice your answer by repeating it back to yourself or recording your response until it sounds natural.

Lastly, if you are still struggling to identify your greatest achievement, reach out to your mentors, family members, or peers to aid your response. Even if you never get asked this question, identifying your answer will allow you to discover yourself and your values better.

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Get the Most Out of Your LinkedIn With These Three Tips

Ready or not, the holiday season is upon us. Depending on your industry, this can either be a hectic or very slow time at work. With the new year rapidly approaching, many are looking to make a change both in their personal and professional lives. As a result, many may be looking for new jobs to start off 2020.

If you’ve been considering a change of scenery (or even career), you should be using your LinkedIn to aid that search. Commonly considered the “Facebook for career professionals,” LinkedIn has over 645 million global users. Are you using the platform to its full potential during your job search? If not, you should be.

According to Kevin Wu, there are three things you should do to leverage your LinkedIn presence and “speed up” your job search.

Optimize Your LinkedIn

These days the true use of LinkedIn seems to have gotten confused with other social networks. While other platforms could help you find a job (or ruin your chances at one), the purpose of LinkedIn is to connect and network with other professionals. Your profile has been considered a “living version” of your resume and is a recruiter’s first look at who you are. Just like in person, you only have one shot at making a first impression, so make it worth it.

To do this, make sure you have a professional photo and the same name as your resume. There should be many similarities between your physical resume and your LinkedIn profile, but one major difference is the amount of space you have. Some schools of thought recommend your resume be limited to one page, but your LinkedIn can be as long as you want, so include as much detail as possible.

You should also include a short bio on your profile, as it could reel in recruiters. Mention what you are currently looking for (if you’re on the search) and give a brief description of who you are. Continue with your relevant experience and goals. The better you tell your story, the better your chances at finding what you’re looking for.

Let Recruiters Know You’re Open

It is one thing to put in all the work in optimizing your profile, but if you don’t let recruiters know that you’re open to new opportunities, they might not find you. This is a setting within your profile that you can turn on. You can also tailor your job preferences in terms of titles, locations, types (full-time, part-time, contract, etc.) and who can see that you’re open to jobs (all LinkedIn users vs. recruiters only).

By toggling your “career interests” preferences, your profile may be seen by recruiters letting you know what opportunities they have in their pipeline. When you apply to jobs via LinkedIn’s job board, you can also let the company and recruiters know that you are applying. This opens the door to future interaction and you can have similar positions recommended.

Find Connections In Cold Emails

The great thing about LinkedIn is that connections are just a few clicks away. You can connect with someone who has your dream job and pick their brain on how they got to their current position during an informational interview, or even connect with people at companies you would like to know about.

This is done through “connecting” with people but should be done tactically. When sending a connection request be sure to add a personalized note with your reason for connecting. Your message will be limited by the amount of characters you can use, but if you really want to take it a step further, Wu recommends finding their email via a service like Clearbit and sending them a cold email.

Wrap Up

LinkedIn can and should be heavily used during your job search. Digital networking isn’t going anywhere, so leveraging your profile can certainly open doors to your next career opportunity. You never know who you will meet or reconnect with and what opportunities they may have or know about. If you’re looking to take your LinkedIn presence to the next level, consider these three things before you set out on your job search.

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Dealing With Anxiety In The Job Search

The job search is not something that people particularly enjoy, regardless of where you’re at in your career. Whether you have been laid off or are just in search of a change of scenery, finding a new job can be a daunting and arduous process. Thanks to technology, finding a job across town or across the country is easier than ever. That said, landing those jobs may also be more difficult than ever.

After finetuning your cover letter and resume and finally hitting “submit application,” the nerve-wracking waiting process begins. This may be worse than the job search and application process themselves! If you’re one of the lucky ones to make it through to the interview stage, take pride in “beating” the ATS. More often than not it seems like today’s digital job application process we get lost in the shuffle, which could lead to getting “ghosted.”

Waiting to hear back about your interview, or even just your application status in general, can be a trying time. The logical move would be to follow up, but even then, there is a delicate balance between persistence and annoyance. So begins the dance between applicant and employer.

If you have found yourself playing this waiting game, you’re not alone. In order to ease your anxiety and constant checking of your emails, there are some tips you should consider according to job experts Elizabeth Atcheson and Alexandra E. Dickson. In an article by Weng Cheong, she highlights these tips.

It’s Not About You

When you’re unemployed and looking for a job, it is all too easy to get immersed in the job search. Many people identify with their jobs, and without one, the question becomes “Who am I?” It has been said that looking for a job is a full-time job in itself, but in order to ease your anxiety during this time, it is important to learn how to separate from the job search.

According to Atcheson, “Job seekers wake up in the morning thinking about their job search. Every time you hear the ‘bing’ coming from your email inbox, you think it might be them. But…that recruiter probably has many things going on at the same time.”

While easier said than done, putting yourself in the shoes of the recruiter/hiring manager for the role is a way to realize that the reason you’re hearing back isn’t personal. Even if the hiring timeline, or timeline for when you should expect to hear back, has passed, it likely is not intentional. This is when a timely follow-up and reach out is appropriate.

All things considered, waiting to hear back from a company regarding your hiring status does indeed have an affect on your personal life, but from the company’s side hiring the right candidate is not a dig at you. They want to make the right hire the first time.

Take Care of Yourself

How do you practice self-care? Is it going to the gym for a workout or yoga? Maybe meditation or grabbing drinks with your friends. What ever you find that helps you unwind or relieve stress can help distract you from the job search, even for a little while. It is important to remember that finding a job takes time and the process will be much more tolerable with a positive outlook.

Keep Up the Momentum

Even if you encounter more “no’s” than “yeses,” at least you are hearing back in one way or another. While these denials might feel like a step backwards, they aren’t. As Dickinson says, “Whatever you do, do not stop moving forward.”

A lot of the job search has to do with timing; contacting the right people at the right time, finding the right opportunity, and being in the right place both in your personal life and career. By keeping a positive attitude and “getting back on the horse” after getting denied from a job can make all the difference in your search. Even if you thought you crushed your interview and put all your eggs in that basket only to get denied, you have to brush it off and keep going. The worst thing you can do is halt your momentum and come to a stop.

Finding the motivation and realizing that you will find a job is of upmost importance. Try to keep a positive outlook, surround yourself with a quality support system and consider these tips to ease your anxiety while waiting to hear back.

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