Interpersonal relationship at the workplace involves effective listening, untangling of thought and expression of heartfelt problems, and acceptance of matters that cannot be changed. Effective listening is very essential in the workplace. There are three types of listening skills; active listening is when the receiver of information is mentally attentive to what is being spoken. Critical listening is when the recipient of the massage carefully watches the steps through which the speaker takes to communicate an idea. Emphatic listening is when the listener attempts to understand the message from the speakers’ point of view by repeating what was said. It is the difference that can be drawn between hearing and listening.
Listening is more than just a physiological process like hearing since it involves interpretation of the message in the most possible correct manner. Effective listening appreciates that the actual meaning is not communicated by verbal utterances. This means when listening watches out for other signs like the body language – eye movement, tone, gestures, etc. Second, listening is more of interpersonal communication and there needs to be a reflection process as the listener ponders about what has been said.
Third, a listener’s expectations should not be allowed to affect what is being said. Fourth, listening detractors should be eliminated as much as possible. In some cases, listeners tend to look for facts rather than ideas and, in this way, they lose some important information. Mental detractors may come in when there has been a lot of interpersonal communication. Fifth, there is the use of active listening whereby the listener repeats the statement to enhance understanding. The listener pays attention to what is being said and how it is being said.