Finding Your Listening Style

“Tim, I hear you.”

You might consider yourself a good listener, but what KIND of a listener are you?

Harvard Business Review breaks listening down into four distinct personalities:

🔹 Analytical listeners analyze the problem inherent in what they’re hearing

🔹 Relational listeners aim to build connection on an emotional level

🔹 Critical listeners assess content for reliability

🔹 Task-focused listeners try to solve the problem as efficiently as possible

At work, the way you listen matters. If you’re a leader, the way you listen to your employees very much matters. And in a job interview, both parties help sway the experience with their listening skills.

So is one way of listening best? Not necessarily, although knowing your style — and interpreting the style of your conversational partner — can certainly help the flow of conversation.