Seven Deadly Sins of (Not) Listening

Listening well is a crucial soft skill and can help a manager get more ROI from his staff. Don't make these critical mistakes.

By Diann Daniel
Tue, September 04, 2007

CIO — Do you think you are a good listener? Many people do. However, HighGain CEO Richard Anstruther says that participants in the company's listening workshops are able to identify only one to two people in their entire lives as being great listeners.

Also see

Soft Skills: Listening for Better Leadership

If you recognize your own actions in any of those below, it may be time to give your own listening skills some attention.

Interrupting the speaker to tell your own story or give advice.
Not making eye contact.
Finishing the speaker's thoughts or asking too many questions about details.
Rushing the speaker.
Answering the phone, texting, e-mailing or paying attention to something else.
Forgetting what the speaker says.
Waiting for the speaker to finish so you can "top" the speaker's story—"That reminds me of..." or, "That's nothing compared to..."

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