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5 Ways You Can Have More Meaningful Conversations At Work

Practice listening

Listening is the most important part of having a quality conversation—and it’s also the area most people struggle with.

So if you want to improve the quality of your conversations at work, look for opportunities to develop and practice your listening skills.

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13 Simple Ways You Can Have More Meaningful Conversations

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forbes.com

Too often, a conversation results in wasted time - and nothing productive to show for it. Whether you've run into someone at a conference or you have a scheduled call, you can use specific tactics to have a more meaningful conversation. Here are 13 ways to add meaning to your [...]

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Let People Talk First

Let others to talk about themselves first. Then, you’ll be able to sell yourself more naturally.

If they are interested in what you have to offer, you can naturally transition into a p...

Ask Good Questions That Show You’re Engaged

Ask at least one question before changing topic to show you’re engaged. Gathering details makes it more likely that you’ll be able to establish a connection with the other person or find a way you can lend a hand.

Prepare For A Conversation Without Being Creepy

Take a look at the person’s LinkedIn or Twitter account to get an idea of his tone, interests, etc. You’re always at an advantage when you know more about a person. It will be easier to relate to him and you might avoid awkward conversations.

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How to bring remote teams together: 5 ways to build authentic connections

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blog.rescuetime.com

Why is it that even though we spend more time than ever on email, chat, and other communication tools, we still feel isolated during the workday? According to the Global Work Connectivity study, almost half of our days are spent using technology to communicate.

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Make Time To Connect

Workers crave a sense of authentic connection with others and the best way to do that is by bringing people together in person. But it's not always a viable alternative.

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Communication

Set clear expectations and make an effort to be a good listener.
Set clear boundaries. Establish a preferred time for communications so you feel respected and acknowledged.
Get to know others. Remote workers often have purely transactional interactions. Listen to people and get to know them.
Update people on what you’re working on and your availability.

Use Shared Experiences

A co-located office develops its own personality through inside jokes, shared experiences, and a collaborative environment. A remote team needs to develop something similar.

Creating specific Slack channels based on interests and book clubs where the company funds the books are the easiest ways to do this for remote workers.

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How Listening Skills Boost Your Influence at Work

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themuse.com

Imagine you're having a conversation with your boss, making your case for a raise. Or maybe you're speaking with a major client, proposing a new program implementation. Now imagine that during the conversation, the person you're speaking to is checking email, flipping through a notebook, or texting away on his or her cell phone.

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Challenges To Listening

We have many things screaming for our attention every minute of the day and we often trick ourselves into believing they’re more important than a conversation unfolding right in front o...

The Importance Of Proper Listening

With proper listening you’ll have a crystal clear understanding of the conversation and demonstrate to speakers that you’re invested in what they have to say.

Being a good listener is one of the most potent things you can do to increase your influence and likeability. It is also one of the top skills employers seek in potential and current employees, and it’s correlated with perceived ability to lead.

How To Be A Better Listener

Push other activities from your mind, and be present in the discussion. This tells the other person that you’re ready for the conversation.
Keep a neutral expression that simply says, “I’m listening.” We tend to physically react to what we hear and it disrupts our ability to listen and the other person’s ability to be heard.
Offer uninterrupted speaking time. Well-intended or not, interruptions makes effective communication impossible.
Repeat back succinctly and ask validating questions to make sure you heard the speaker correctly.