(1) Show respect. Our conversation partners often have the know-how to develop good solutions, and part of being a good listener is simply helping them to draw out critical information and put it in a new light. To harness the power of those ideas, senior executives must fight the urge to “help” more junior colleagues by providing immediate solutions.
(2) Keep quiet. Adhere to the 80/20 rule: A conversation partner should be speaking 80% of the time while I speak only 20% of the time. Moreover, I seek to make my speaking time count by spending as much of it as possible posing questions rather than trying to have my own say.
(3) Challenge assumptions. Good listeners seek to understand—and challenge—the assumptions that lie below the surface of every conversation.