Brief Summary
Many people report feeling unsteady when listening virtually, as if they were trying to dance backward on high heels. The spread of COVID-19 has made problems like this widespread in the business world. The article aims to improve virtual listening in the wake of a pandemic. Staff and management tend to exaggerate their listening abilities and minimize the significance of effective listening (Itzchakov & Grau, 2022). When people can communicate effectively, the company benefits from fewer miscommunications and more efficient use of its resources.
Subtle verbal and nonverbal responses, as well as an open, inquiring, and nonjudgmental attitude, are more characteristics of a good listener, as described in the article. There are three parts to a successful listening encounter: focus, understanding, and openness (Ngoma & Ntale, 2019). The concept of attention refers to the listener’s nonverbal behavior clues that show they are focused on the speaker (Itzchakov & Grau, 2022). The ability of a speaker to convey the sense that their audience has grasped the meaning of what they have said is a hallmark of good comprehension. What is meant by acceptance in the article is the listener’s overt inquiries, facial expressions, and internal monologues.
The ability to listen attentively is correlated favorably with achievement. Sales revenue is just one metric that benefits from attentive managers and a culture that encourages open communication and active participation from all employees. According to the article’s authors, training listeners to be flexible and adaptable so that they may adjust their listening habits to suit the speaker’s style is essential. Most managers rank listening as their top communication ability, and surveys of Fortune 500 businesses show that many of them provide training in the art of listening to their staff (Itzchakov & Grau, 2022). Employees who have received listening training report less social anxiety and a more optimistic outlook on workplace difficulties.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The article’s strengths lie in its attention to and provision of answers for the new challenges posed to workplace communication by COVID-19. A good listener is essential for resolving customer service communication problems in the workplace, and this article outlines some traits that make someone a good listener (Itzchakov & Grau, 2022). However, its weakness is the article’s need for hard numbers on how being a good listener affects customer relationships. Furthermore, the article only provides a single metric to demonstrate how having a good listener might benefit a business.
Personal Position
From my perspective, the Covid-19 pandemic has profoundly affected commercial activity worldwide. As businesses strive to get back on their feet following the epidemic, good listening skills are more important than ever to ensure that messages get over to coworkers and customers. The qualities of good listeners highlighted in the article are, therefore, essential for any company weathering the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. Consequently, I agree that every business’s success depends on having attentive employees.
Recommendations
Due to restrictions brought about by the pandemic leading customers and staff to meet virtually, I recommend that the staff always explore the camera setting options before the meeting. This will help keep the focus on the meeting and be helpful to the customer in case they experience any issues during the session (Abbas et al., 2018). Furthermore, I suggest that the personnel prioritizes understanding over politeness at all times. Understanding the speaker’s needs and desires may depend on those missing words. These two recommendations will ensure that a virtual meeting with a customer is successful and that they will purchase the organization’s products.
References
Abbas, M., Gao, Y., & Shah, S. (2018). CSR and customer outcomes: The mediating role of customer engagement. Sustainability, 10(11), 4243. Web.
Itzchakov, G., & Grau, J. (2022). High-quality listening in the age of COVID-19. Organizational Dynamics, 51(2), 100820. Web.
Ngoma, M., & Ntale, P. D. (2019). Word of mouth communication: A mediator of relationship marketing and Customer Loyalty. Cogent Business & Management, 6 (1). Web.