Better Communication

Through Being A Good Active Listener?

Active listing will enhance your communication experiences by allowing each person to feel important and valued. Communication then becomes more effective. Here are a few tips to improve your active listening skills.

• Know why you are listening

If you don’t know why you are listening, you won’t gain as much from communicating as you will if you have a definite purpose in mind.

• Listen with your whole body

Active listening involves you physically and mentally. Read the sender’s body movements, and exchange non-verbal feedback. Look directly at the sender, express interest with your face, eyes and hands.

• Give feedback; respond to the person

The best listening also involves talking, as you respond verbally to what you hear. If you agree, say so; don’t leave the other person guessing. A comment, which confirms that you have heard and understood, is better than just a ‘yes’ or a nod of the head. An ideal response is to rephrase the speaker’s words, indicate support, and then ask a question. “I agree that you’ve had to take care of the children more than me recently. How can I help support you?” Seek further information by asking questions like: “what happened next?” or “what do you think your options are?”

• Show empathy

Make it clear that you understand the other person’s point of view, even if you do not agree with it. Active listening requires sensitive judgement about when people want to talk and when they don’t. Use one ear to listen to meaning and the other to listen to feelings (like reading between the lines). Remember, words often mask real feelings.

As a coach I would like you to take the time to consider how putting these things into practice could enhance your communication experiences? I think it is a good skill to invest time into. The time required to learn and practice this skill is very small compared with the big prize of Enhanced Communication.

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