The Art Of Listening
Rita asks the question, “How many of us really listen to someone when they are talking to us do you even know how to listen effectively or are you just waiting for your turn to talk?”
Listening is a skill we can always improve on!
Here are 8 ways you can improve your listening skills!
1. Focus shut out the rest of the world while you listen
2. Remind yourself to pay attention
3. Make eye contact with the speaker
4. Avoid interrupting while they are talking
5. Give verbal cues for example “I see” “yes” “ok” “go on” “oh really”
6. Give non verbal cues, we know it as body language some examples are; smiling, nodding or leaning forward
7. Ask questions or maybe reiterate a date example OK! The meetings on November 17th at 9:00.
8. Summarize close the conversation with good to see you I’m glad we had a chance to discuss or catch up on, name whatever topic that the conversation was on.
Now that you all are challenge to become better listener here’s a little exercise that I would like you to do.
1. Think of someone at work or in your family or maybe even an organization that you feel is a good listener.
2. Now think of a time when someone interrupted you. How did you feel?
Now that you have read this I ASK YOU, what steps do you plan to take to improve your listening skills?
December 4th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
[...] of my favorate posts is on Listening. Which is also one of my passionate topics. They provide eight(8) clear strategies to improve your [...]
January 26th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
All very valid tips and important to mastering the art of listening which is an important skill in any facet of life. Good post.
February 12th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
I read recently in a study that attentive listening skills are usually found in middle class households. The study found that children that came from parents that were middle and working class demonstrated better listening because they seemed more attentive to the speaker, tended to raise their eye brows, attentive body language. Interesting!!