Listening: Are You a Time-Oriented Listener?

Do you hate wasting time?

If time is consistently a concern, you may be a time-oriented listener.

Here are a few questions to consider.  Are you most concerned with efficiency?  Do you view time as a scarce resource and a valuable commodity?  Do you grow impatient when you view others as wasting time?  Do you find yourself more concerned with deadlines and other pressures that demand fast action?

If so, you may be a time-oriented listener.

There are many benefits to having time-oriented listeners on your team.  They help keep people on the team focused on time sensitive issues and activities.  They provide motivation during meetings to finish agenda items.

However, if you are always listening as a time-oriented listener, there can be a few drawbacks.  Your time orientation can put off others when it seems you disregard their feelings.  It may not allow for full discussion of symptoms and perspectives in identifying problems and needs.  This excessive focus on time can hamper the thoughtful deliberation that some jobs require.

When the clock is what matters most, become a model for time orientation.

Keep in mind, you can boost your effectiveness by assessing the listening preferences of your conversational partners and adapting your style to them.

Sometimes there are hard deadlines that must be met.  Sometimes we need to be the person that watches the clock.

Whichever style you use, it is important to recognize that you can control the way you listen and use the style that best suits the situation at hand.

If your organization is suffering with miscommunication, contact me at kit@welchlin.com and I will provide a fun, engaging, and informative presentation on effective listening skills.