At a networking event this week I ran into a woman who I first met a few years ago when she was trialing a course she was developing on effective listening.  We had a great catch up, and she shared with me some of her research on the brain and how it functions when we are talking and when we are listening.

As I recently told a group of clients who were interested in improving their meetings, participants generally outnumber meeting hosts at least 10 to 1, so participants are an important part of a successful and “good” meeting.  Coming prepared, staying on topic, ensuring other stay on topic, and effectively listening are four things any participant can do to help make a meeting feel productive and successful.

Effective or active listening is tiring, and requires you to put away distractions and metnally discipline yourself to focus on what is happening around you. But it can save teams tremendous time, because if participants (and hosts) listen effectively, it is more likely that the right actions take place later.

Challenge yourself the next time you are in a meeting to be an excellent listener. It might surprise you to realize how hard it is, and how valuable it is.