How do you learn to listen more carefully? One good method is to repeat back what you think you heard. When the boss tells you something, don’t just say, “Okay.” Instead, repeat what you heard him tell you. This is called a briefback. Say, “So, you want me to . . .” If your brief back is not what the boss meant, the boss will let you know right then, and you won’t have wasted a lot of effort on the wrong thing.