Skill of Listening Best quality for a Designer

How to become an extraordinary listener when you're particularly a product designer or particularly a creative guy. Okay, so this podcast is going to really help you three aspects of how you can really improve your listening ability and skills. You might be wondering, hey Jagdish, what is this listening skills. Here you're talking something like, what do you call offbeat topic. Let me tell you everybody, if you think listening is not required for you, you're not going to make any progress in your design. There are lot many ways of listening which you can do. It's inner listening, it's outer listen, learning, listening to people. So in this podcast, you're going to learn lot, many things, guys, okay? Because if you apply the skill, there are many bottlenecks which designers really face and they don't know how to come out of it and they think it's okay. But if you really understand this, you will be able to clearly navigate top it. Okay? So with this we'll deep dive into the topic of listening skill, of how designers can improve that listening skill. Okay? Welcome guys. Welcome, welcome. So the first aspect of listening is you need to have empathy. Okay? Very first thing. Okay. Why Jagdish? Empathy is important. See guys, these three steps are not only going to improve your listening, but it's also going to make sure where you really fall in terms of listening capacity. In terms of where are you really a good listener? Are you a poor listener? So this is going to even give you a check also. Okay, so the first thing is you need to think about empathy. See, you need to empathize with others. How do you empathize with others? By just listening to them. By just asking questions and listening to them. You will see reality when you empathize properly, when you listen to them properly. And you will see the real intent if you listen to them very, very, very, very carefully without any distraction. And this words, what they are going to say is the last words in the world after which you are going to go away. How much amount of attention you are going to hear. Okay? And imagine next time when you are listening. Imagine if they are saying the passcode for a one million dollar locker vault and they'll tell you only one time. How much serious an attention will you listen to that person that each and every word, same kind of intention you need to set in your mind to listen to others. You know what guys? You will see through the person's intention very clearly if you listen. To be very honest, I'm not that great, guys. I'm also a very bad listener. I Eventually developed the skills my mentor taught me and I applied that and I applied with reality and experimented myself then and only I'm able to improve and now like I'm much, much better than what I used to be before during my college days and start of my career. So you can improve? Definitely. It's a huge possibility and I'm going to be making down even simpler for you. Okay, so the third thing is the, the other point in empathy is you need to find out wants and needs of a person, what is their want, what is their need, what is their must. See guys, if you are a product designer, or a ui, UX designer, or any kind of a designer, unless until you understand the people's wants and needs, you will not be able to solve any problem. Many of the innovators, problem solvers, researchers have exactly understood the people's intention, the psychology, the behavior. If any person is successful in marketing, sales, CEO or what. However, they've exactly understood the wants and needs of a person by looking to them very, very, very, very closely and listening to them without any judgments, without any biases. So this is a one listening skill when you talk to people, when you do a research, when you do a survey, when you go for a face to face interview, right? Being a designer, we used to do a lot of research, collect information, understand some reality check. So if you're not having that listening capability, what will happen? You will only half take the information, you will only apply quarter and you will get even results out of that quarter in a much more quarter. So think about how you can able to increase your listening ability. See, there are two aspects of listening and empathy. Okay? One is active listening and passive listening. I'll tell you what are the signs of active listening. Okay, First I'll tell you what is passive listening. Okay? This is very important. See guys, if you are a passive listener, you will just get distracted here and there. That's the first way to know you're a passive listener. You will only selectively listen here and there. Only terms which are more attractive to you, only terms which are most what you call fancy for you, that's the first symbol of a passive listener. When you don't ask any doubts or question, you just keep on listening more than five minutes. If you without any questions, you're listening, that means you already lost the conversation. You should definitely clarify yourself and you have to check whether you are in the right track of that particular subject, what it is being taken or the person who is talking. And the third is not giving any kind of A sign or body language or anything. Just barely listening and keeping your eyes somewhere and then your ears somewhere else. And then your mind is somewhere else and your leg is running or walking. See, different parts of your body is in different kind of emotion in different world. Right? This is how we listen. This is passive listening. It's better you don't listen to that at all. Throw that and at least do that work properly. Whatever you're doing, either you're running or walking. So make sure you are in the active listening or passive listening. Okay, so I'll tell you what is active listening. See, when you're an active listener, you will just nod your head. You will just ask good questions. You'll just try to understand more better by clarifying. Hey, you're trying to tell this? Yes. Okay, tell me. You will rephrase the sentence. Whatever they're saying. Like let's say if you're doing a customer research for a project and if they say yes sir, I have a lot of problem in this house. There is no lighting coming and there is no atmosphere coming. There is a lot of problems are in this house. So please design me a good house. Okay, you're doing some research and then some guy is telling like that. You are listening very carefully and then you are saying yes sir. Okay, so you're not getting here. Okay, this is a very good way of listening. And then you're going to clarify. You're telling about this house. You're telling about only one room, sir? No, I'm telling about my entire house. Okay, very good. See, that person will feel very important. That person will feel very happy that see, whenever you make feel other people important, they really give you honest and very, very genuine answers. Research. When it comes to research, you need to get the genuine answer from people. If you're not showing that intention for the genuinity, people will give you only. Okay, for this guy, this much is enough. Some of the times they will hide the statistics and information which is really needed for you. Saving and protecting them their privacy and all. When it comes to research, there are a lot of nuances which designers really miss out. They just listen to people, but they don't really listen to the intention. They don't listen to what the words they don't say. They don't listen to the environment, they don't listen to the ambience. They don't listen to whatever people say and whatever people do is different. See, this is exactly when you listen this much of patterns you will be able to see all these mistakes. I have made guys. That is why I am able to clearly tell you. Start building that habit. Don't do lot of mistakes and learn it. Learn from somebody who has did those mistakes so that you can learn from there. Okay? So when you're doing a research, next time when you're doing some interviews or when you're asking people about a problem, let's say if you're doing a problem in library management system, go to a. If you're going for a library and then you're asking some person in the library, hey, tell me what are all the problems in library? When that person starts speaking, you have to look at them. You should not look at the books or library or something. This building seems like old here which time it is built. You should not ask that. You first asked a question what problems you are facing, right? Let that person allow. Let that person talk. Okay? Jagdish, when should I talk? When should I not talk? I'll tell you one simple thumb off rule, guys. I learned from my mentor. Okay? When a person is answering, how will you know whether that person completed or not? See, if you interrupt that person, he will get disturbed. He will miss the flow. He will not feel important. Hey, this guy is not allowing me to talk. They won't tell you explicitly but they'll think inside them. Very bad. It's very important. Okay? So you need to allow that person and when he gives a pass, count in your mind. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. If that person is still talking, not talking, then you pitch your next point. If you're seeing 1, 2, 3 and that person talks, that means that person is still not finished. He is articulating his idea. He is thinking about himself. Allow him. If you don't have that patient and you want to just put your perspective again and again, you are a very bad listener. So the good active listener will stop, will pass. If you know how to pass, you will tremendously build a very good relationship with the people. See, by listening you're learning lot of things. Listening is not just you just hear to some songs or you hear to some person. It is beyond talking. It's beyond delivering a speech. It's beyond any other skill. Like let's say in sales people who are having. You know what? Sales people are the most highest paid people in the world. Not designers for sure. Any best entrepreneurs, any best billionaires. They are the best salesperson. First you know what is the one good skill? One best, best, best skill of a salesperson? Listening skills. They will listen more. Hey sales. I don't like Here somebody will put a tie and they will sell something. It's okay, fine guys, that kind of a preconception you have, that's totally fine. But understand what is a good quality they have? The best salesperson in the world has habit of listening. That's why they are making lots of money. That's why they are making very successful career. People who earn the world's highest paid job and professional sales go and do a research. You'll come to know I'm not. What do you call blaming or I'm not joking. So see the first job. So the first important skill means how much importance listening skill is being there. So apply that listening skill for your research. Do active questioning. And then a last way to check your active listener is reframing that. Like let's say if a person is saying hey, this room is not having air and no light is coming, just then you ask hey. Okay. So customer, you're saying this room is very much congent and you are feeling very dark in your daytime, right? You need to ask that. You need to clarify that by rephrasing what they said. You know what will happen. Two things will be there. That person will say hey, yes, yes, yes. Correct, Correct. Perfect Jagdish. He will feel very happy. He will give you a genuine answer. Let's say if that is wrong, he will tell you no, no, no, not that Jagdish. What I meant was this room is good only. But only little light is not coming. This room is dark only. Only the oxygen. Little bit not coming. See that little bit is coming. Now when you rephrase it properly, he will clarify his understanding and you will clarify and understand him more better. This is how you do a research. This is how you understand a person. This is how you understand a problem. This is how you go and just work on solution. Okay? The very, very first thing is observing. Listening. Listening. Listening. The second question, the second thing about listening aspect is asking questions. See guys, you need to know very smartly how to ask question. See subconsciously we've been programmed in our mind. When you ask something people 75% of their brain portion is working to answer you. When you talk something, only 25% of their brain is working towards listening to you. So you wanted that person to make you work. 75% of their brain at 25, of course 75, right. Then and only they'll give you best answers and best inputs. And so try to ask them question. Sir, what did you eat in the morning? You look very great sir, where are you from? Yes, and then start your questions. Don't just directly ask, hey, I'm doing a primary research about this particular product. Tell me the problem. Come on, tell me. First build that rapport, ask good questions. Just say good morning and then you start the research and then you understand that person's intention. If that person is in some hurry or if he wants to rush somewhere, understand that urgency and just tell, hey, just can you give me two minutes? See if you answer me properly, this is going to save lot of people who are taking drugs. Because I'm doing a research on drugs. Can you help me? That person will really sit for a few minutes. You have to understand and listen to what he's saying. Because if he's in some rush, allow him first. It's okay, fine. Okay, sir, instead of that, if you're not listening and understanding, then you will keep on talking. That guy will give you half baked answer. So you need to know how to ask the questions. Very, very proper way. And the best way to ask question is start with can you help me? Can you tell me, don't tell her, tell me what is this? See, your tonality is important. The way in which you frame your question is important. This is how you start listening more. Ask a question, pause. Okay? And when you wanted to ask a question, also you need to pause for five seconds before asking. Because if you paid close attention to that person, what they're saying, already half answer, you would have listened. Probably you are not tuning in properly to understand that. Got it? So whenever you are doing next time, make sure you ask good questions and wait for the response and listen to them until they complete and give that five second break. Okay? So this is the second aspect of listening is first we talked about empathy, active listening and passive listening. Second, we are talking about questioning, the power of questioning and how you ask questions to make sure the person is staying engaged. I'll tell you the benefits of questioning. Okay? The first benefit is that person will feel more happy because you are considering him, right? I already told you. Second question is, second benefit is he will feel engaged, he will not run away here and that his distraction will be very less. Third thing is subconsciously he feels very, very, very, very happy because he's expressing himself. You have given a chance for him to express himself, right? This is how you dig out deeper answers in people. People won't give you biased answers when you go to this level of listening. See guys, three benefits I told you about questioning, okay? See even there are a lot of studies I've studied psychologically, all Your hormones and sorry, all your body parts will get so much active and you feel so wonderful when somebody asks you and you tell them and then they listen to them. You feel so wonderful about yourself. You feel wonderful about that person. And then you give most benefits, most, most genuine answers. It's true. Go and read a book called. What do you call. I do not remember the book of the name. There's an exact study which is done for that. Then and only. I got so much of conviction. Oh my God. I need to really listen to somebody. I need to ask question. I need to become patience, patience, patience. Develop that habit. It's as simple as that. Okay, this is the second part of this. The third part of is take action. See, whatever you're doing, if you're not taking action, nothing will happen. I'll tell you three activities how you can take action. Okay? Listen to your partners or spouse today, 30 minutes. Do not talk anything. Just ask them something. Hey, how has your day gone? Maybe your wife or your husband would be little surprised. Hey, why is this guy behaving like a crazy? It's okay. Just put your hands on them. Just hold their hands. Just go close to them. Tell me, how did. How does this day go? Don't interrupt. Allow them to talk for 10 minutes. 15 minutes, 20 minutes. They will have hundreds of stories to tell you guys. You know, after the 30 minutes, they would have felt wonderful about you. They would have felt so happy about you. And in turn you feel happy about it. So this is the first action step, guys. Do it. Okay? If you're not married, that's okay, fine. You can go and apply to the best friends. You can go and apply to your mother, father. You can go and apply to your loved ones, whomever you have relationship with. You can go and apply even to your boss. Just ask him a good question and wait. Listen, listen. Practice the habit of listening, guys. See, by just listening, nothing will happen. You need to practice that consistently for 21 days to make it as a habit. And then make sure. 21 days, 21 people, you listen to them at least half an hour every single day. What will happen? You will become a wonderful person in the world. Okay, so practice this action habits, guys. So we discussed about empathy. We discussed about active listening and passive listening. We discussed about questioning and listening through that. And we discussed about taking action about implementing in your own personal life. So this is the three important aspect of a good listener if you are a creative design thinker or a product and problem solver. Okay, so all the best, guys. Thank you so much for staying tuned in this podcast. So apply all this technique, thinkings and process, and what you call actions, what I told you, because if you're not taking action, nothing is going to change. Okay? So take care. All the best. Feel free to drop in an email to me if you like this podcast, if you wanted to get my mentorship and support, and if you wanted to really get a lot of content like this, address me with any kind of a topics which you wanted to solve and I'll be able to help you record a podcast and do the research on it and then give me a best five star rating if you feel this has added a lot of value. Okay? So with that being said, thank you guys. Thank you so much. Take care. All the best. God bless. Cheers. Bye Bye. Sam.