The skill of authentic listening is often taken for granted, but is something professional communicators should continuously seek to improve upon. I was reminded of this today while working on a communication deliverable related to a client’s new intranet platform roll-out.
A social media guidelines policy was drafted using a memorable 
acronym. Each letter was followed by brief, actionable instructions that created boundaries while encouraging interaction with the intranet’s new (to the company) collaborative communication tools. Other resources were contained within the guidelines to focus on more immersive element—long-term educational goals that demonstrate how the tools could add value to current work processes.
It was the result of teamwork and listening to the client’s needs. It involved the act of listening to the subtext of the conversation, or the meaning behind the words, the content behind the dialogue. Not merely listening with intent to understand, but listening with the goal of informing our future actions and interactions with the specific articulated needs of our client.
The customer feedback evaluation process is the same process already used in communication measurement practices; namely, gathering and collecting feedback data, processing and interpreting it, and then mapping and executing it in order to influence outcomes.
This may sound simple and self-evident, but it’s often overlooked.
Amber Naslund covered a bit of this in a recent blog post you may want to check out as well.
Is authentic listening top-of-mind today in your daily interactions with colleagues and clients?
