Just when you are burning to say something,
listen for one more minute. That’s one tip offered by Thomas D.
Zweifel, Ph.D., CEO of New York City-based Swiss Consulting Group
(www.swissconsultinggroup.com), which teaches
communication techniques at companies such as Citibank, Merrill
Lynch and Siemens.
Zweifel, author of Communicate or Die: Getting Results
Through Speaking and Listening (Select Books), points to seven
levels of listening, ranging from “ignoring” to acknowledging the
worth of another’s comments. He offers the following advice for
masterful communication.
Repeat what is said and take notes. This allows
you to be present inside, rather than outside, the
conversation.
Focus on the message. You risk missing what is
said if you fixate on things like the speaker’s nervousness or poor
diction.
Keep an open mind. Zweifel says putting aside
one’s own assumptions and beliefs often is the most difficult trick
to learn.
Put evaluating on hold. In other words, don’t
judge.