Listening 2.0

“93% of communication occurs through nonverbal behavior and tone and only 7% of communication takes place through the use of words.”  
- John Stoker

More than the Words: Notice the Nuances
Conscientious leaders listen a lot…to their customers, their business partners, their staff. But listening is more than just hearing the words. This past week we facilitated several focus groups for a well-known nonprofit. I was particularly struck by the emotion and passion accompanying their comments and facial expressions. Their tone of language communicated an added ingredient and reflected when they were exited about an idea, when they were bored, when they were unsure, and when they really didn’t care. 

There are important yet often subtle clues that speak volume, but we sometimes don't notice.them.  We bury ourselves in our laptops taking notes, and we don’t stop to look up and observe the nonverbal behavior that tells the real story.