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the opportunity to agree or deny having the conversation. When we do this then they will be more attentive if they say yes because they know they have to be engaged in a conversation. Second, we are able to make the listener understand the real reason for the conversation. This is also effective because both parties in the conversation will be less likely to go on a tangent. They know why they are there and why they are talking. Third, the listener will be able to get ready for what is coming in the conversation. In some cases the listener may need to defend themselves. When they know what is coming they will be able to react accordingly. If you practice this when you are terminating an employee they may have time to collect their thoughts before they respond to your first statement instead of becoming rash in emotion and action. Finally, the forth reason to declare the intent of the conversation is to declare your position or status in the conversation. You also help the listener understand the role they play in the conversation. An example would be an employer telling their employee they're getting a raise. If you start with "Sarah, you're a great asset to our company. I think we should talk about how you are being compensated." This will tell Sarah that she needs to be respectful and listen intently because she is about to receive a gift from her boss.

Listening

Now that you have begun a conversation, it is also important that you know how to pay attention. Listening is key to having a great conversation with an employer or employees underneath you. According to Sherman K. Okum Author of "How to Be a Better Listener", only 25% of people who listen understand the central ideas of communication. Okum says that an effective listener will listen between the lines of speech to the tones of voice and evidence of the point the other person is trying to convey. This can be useful when there is a walkout and you need to make negotiations. You will want to know the desires of your employees. Upon speaking of a poor listener, Okum says that they will usually tune out the speaker and are easily distracted. When you do this you show that you don't have loyalty to your employees or the person you work for. Beyond not caring a poor listener can more easily become argumentative. They do this because they haven't heard the full side of the argument or have tuned out what the other person was saying to defend him or herself.

Finally, a good listener will be energetic and make

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