Listening Well

...there are a number of specific techniques you can use to improve your skills

Active listening is hard work and starts with your own personal motivation. If you are unwilling to exert the effort to hear and understand, no amount of additional advice is going to improve your listening effectiveness. If you are motivated to become an effective listener, there are a number of specific techniques you can use to improve your skills:

• Make eye contact: this focuses your attention, and reduces the likelihood that you will be come distracted, and encourages the speaker.
• Show interest: use nonverbal signals, such as head nods, to convey to the speaker that you're listening.
• Avoid distracting actions: looking at your watch or shuffling papers are signs that you aren't fully attentive and might be missing part of the message.
• Take in the whole picture: interpret feelings and emotions as well as factual content.
• Ask questions: seek clarification if you don't understand something. This also reassures the speaker that you're listening to them.
• Paraphrase: restate what the speaker has said in your own words with phrases such as "what I hear you saying is..." or "Do you mean...?"
• Don't interrupt: let speakers complete their thoughts before you try to respond.
• Confront your biases: use information about speakers to improve your understanding of what they are saying, but don't let your biases distort the message.

ACTION POINT: Employ the listening skills listed above to improve understanding.